78 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



demaud was very light. Fish seemed to be abundant, although not so 

 much so as in former seasons. 



During the early fall they were brought in in such quantities as to 

 glut the market. It was expected that the demand in the interior would 

 be very good, but such hopes were not realized. The comparative fail 

 ure of the staple crops throughout the South, and the general stagna- 

 tion of business everywhere, made the disposal of fish very difficult. 



There was a very large run of blueflsh on the coast for several weeks 

 in the fall, and the larger ones of 2 and 2^ pounds weight found ready 

 sale, while the smaller ones were salted for snapper bait. Other shore 

 fish were not abundant. 



When the red-snapper fishing was at its best a fleet of 8 large schoon- 

 ers appeared from the Xorth to take part in it. The outlook for them 

 was so discouraging that they were at first inclined to return, and one 

 of them did go to Savannah; but upon getting offers for their fish at a 

 low figure they decided to remain. The result shows that they would 

 have done better to go, or not to come in the first place, as they have 

 (lone so little that they are still in debt for their outfits at home, and 

 some still owe for their outfits of ice and bait here. Directly after their 

 arrival the weather became so severe that they could not fish or remain 

 at sea, and after it became milder they could not find fish. Nearly 

 every vessel in the fleet failed to pay her bills, and the owners are glad 

 m case no serious damage was done to the vessel. It is a curious fact 

 that nearly every one of the large schooners sustained damage of some 

 sort, while the home fleet of smaller craft endured much hard usage 

 unscathed. The trouble at this date is not so much from bad weather 

 as because there seems to be no body of fish on any of the grounds, 

 even on the far-off ones, so successfully resorted to last winter. Occa- 

 sionally a vessel finds a little spot where she secures a moderate fare, 

 but such occurrences are uncommon. 



The buying price of snappers has remained stationary, while the sell- 

 ing price, even in times of the greatest scarcity, has been extremely low 

 (in fact, hardly above cost), on account of unreasonable competition 

 among the dealers. The demand is good throughout the West and 

 North, the South buying but a small proportion. 



The shore fisheries of Cedar Key during the past year have been fairly 

 successful, although the dealers there, as everywhere else, found but a 

 light demand. The spring season's business was unusually* good at 

 Cedar Key and Tampa ; the fall business was rather poor. 



Salted mullets found slow sale everywhere, and almost everybody 

 handling them has been obliged to hold over a considerable quantity. 

 The Key West fisheries of all kinds have not been profitable, and out- 

 side of the sponge fishery there has been but little activity. 



The shore fisheries on the Louisiana coast have about maintained 

 their usual importance. 



Pensacola, Fla., February 20, 1886. 



