FISHERIES OF KEY WEST AND THE CLAM INDUSTRY OF SOUTH- 

 ERN FLORIDA. 1 



By William 0. Schroeder, Scientific Assistant, U. S. Bureau, of Fisheries. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Key West fisheries 1 



Smaller reef fishes 2 



Larger reef fishes 3 



Annotated list of commercial food fishes found in the vicinity of Key 



West *— _ 4 



Mullet fishery __ 35 



Kingfish fishery 38 



Spanish-mackerel fishery 40 



Spiny-lobster fishery 43 



Stone crab _ 49 



Turtle fishery 50 



Sponge fishery 54 



Florida conch 59 



Clam industry of southern Florida 59 



Fiibliography 68 



KEY WEST FISHERIES. 



Key West was settled in 1822, and from the very beginning of its 

 existence fishing formed one of its principal industries. At the 

 present time fishing is, perhaps, of first importance to the inhabit- 

 ants, although in value of output it is exceeded by the cigar industry. 



The fishermen's equipment and their methods of fishing and dis- 

 posing of their catches are practically the same to-day as they were 

 40 or 50 years ago. Indeed, many of the small fishing boats now in 

 use are at least 40 years old. The only fisheries which have shown 

 noteworthy developments during the last half century are those of 

 the spiny lobster and the Spanish mackerel. 



The Bureau of Fisheries' statistical canvas of 1918 shows that 458 

 persons were engaged in the fisheries of Monroe County at that time, 

 and nearly all of these were credited to Key West. This number is 

 considerably augmented in winter, however, during the height of the 

 mackerel and kingfish season. In 1918 fishing vessels not engaged 

 in shore fishing, together with outfits and various apparatus, were 

 valued at $38,435 ; transporting vessels with their outfits at $14,450 ; 

 311 sailboats, power boats, and rowboats, together with various 

 equipment and apparatus, at $80,837; and shore and accessory prop- 

 erty amounted to $56,287 in value— a grand total of $190,009. The 



1 Appendix XII to the Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 1923. B. F. 

 Doc. No. 962. 



