30 FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 



Indian River originally abounded in alligators, but owing to very 

 active hunting operations during the past ten years they have become 

 very source and do not now support an industry. 



Fishing apparatus and methods. — Most of the fishing is done with gill 

 nets, which are of two kinds, according to whether they are set for mullet 

 or pompano. A few seines are hauled for bottom fish, large-meshed 

 nets are employed for turtles, and tongs are used for oysters. 



Mullet fishing is carried on along the entire length of the river, and 

 is the most important branch of the industry. It is most extensively 

 prosecuted from Titusville, Cocoa, and Fort Pierce. Mullet gill nets 

 are about 250 yards long and 12 to 14 feet deep. The 58 nets used in 

 1895 had a combined length of 40,800 feet, or about 9 miles. These 

 nets are thrown around the schools of mullet seen jumping at the sur- 

 face, and the fish become meshed by being frightened after the ends of 

 the net are brought together. The catch consisted of over 1,600,000 

 pounds, with a market value of about $12,000. 



Pompano fishing in 1895 was most extensive at Titusville, Fort 

 Pierce, and Eden. The nets used are 200 or 250 yards long, but a 

 number of nets are often fastened together, forming pieces from 000 to 

 2,000 yards long. The 163 pompano nets employed in 1895 were 

 115,500 feet, or nearly 22 miles, long. The mesh is relatively large (5£ 

 to G inches), and owing to this fact and the peculiar shape of the pom- 

 pano the fish are not gilled but are caught by the pectoral and ventral 

 fins, and also by a short spine in front of the dorsal fin. Pompano 

 fishing is done only at night, and preferably when there is no moon. 

 If the fish can see the netting, they will avoid it. The nets are left to 

 drift several hours before being visited. Besides pompano, bluefish, 

 sheepshead, sea trout, redfish, snappers, and crevalle are incidentally 

 taken. The pompano catch in 1895 was only 149,000 pounds, but the 

 value, $9,475, was nearly as much as that of the mullet, which was 

 taken in ten times the quantity. 



Turtle fishing is not extensively carried on. It is regularly followed 

 only from Sebastian, Fort Pierce, and Eden, but turtles are incidentally 

 caught in nets at a number of other points on the river. Turtle nets 

 are like gill nets, but have a very large mesh and are constructed of 

 coarse thread. They are from So to 115 yards long. Turtles are caught 

 by being entangled in the meshes, some of the nets being fastened to 

 stakes, while others are left to drift freely. In 1895 the number of 

 turtles taken on the river was 519, having a weight of about 18,900 

 pounds; their value was $1,320. It is apparent from the comparative 

 statistics available that turtle fishing on the Indian Eiver is much less 

 productive than in previous years. 



The oyster industry, while not of great importance, is more extensive 

 than any other branch of the fisheries with the exception of the gill net 

 fishery. It is followed from Titusville, Cocoa, Eau Gallie, and Fort 

 Pierce, ^the oysters being taken with tongs froin^natural beds in the 



