FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 45 



THE MARKET FISHERIES. 



Importance. — Next in importance to the sponge fishery are the various 

 branches of the industry comprehended under the general name of 

 market fisheries, and consisting in the taking of food-fishes chietiy for 

 local sale in a fresh condition. The number of persons who thus find 

 employment, the number of boats and the quantity of apparatus used, 

 and the amount and value of the catch make this branch not only of 

 great consequence to Key West, but one of the most extensive in the 

 State. This fishing is done from small welled- vessels, known as 

 smackees, and carrying on an average two men. Hand lines of various 

 kinds, adapted to the nature of the various species sought, are the 

 apparatus principally employed; a number of other means of capture 

 are used incidentally. The prominent branches of the market fisheries 

 are the fishery for the smaller bottom fishes, the red-snapper fishery, 

 and the kingfish fishery. 



The bottom fishery. — The most extensive of the market fisheries is 

 that for bottom fishes, carried on by a numerous fleet of well smacks. 

 A few schooners (5 in 1895) barely large enough to take out custom- 

 house papers, engage in this fishery, and some of the sponge vessels 

 are at times so employed, but most of the vessels are of only 2 or 3 

 tons register. The fishing is carried on throughout the year, but is 

 more assiduously followed in winter than in summer. 



The fish par excellence of this fishery are the grunts (Hcemulon), which 

 constitute fully one-third of the yield. The two principal species are 

 the white grunt and the yellow grunt. These are found in extraordinary 

 abundance at all seasons and on numerous grounds, and their size, 

 cheapness (1 or 5 for 10 cents), and food qualities make them very pop- 

 ular. Numerous other desirable fishes are taken more or less through- 

 out the year. In fact, a greater variety of food-fish are caught by 

 the Key West line fishermen than are obtained in any other similar 

 fishery in the United States. Those which deserve mention are the red 

 grouper, black grouper, Nassau grouper, rock hind, jewfish, muttonfish, 

 gray snapper, lane snapper, margate-fish, angelfishes, yellow-tail, por- 

 gies, chub, hogfish, porkfish, sailor's choice, and bream. 



Notwithstanding the very large annual catch, amounting to about 

 1,500,000 pounds, the resources appear to have undergone no note- 

 worthy depletion, and the vastness of the grounds and the abundance 

 of the ground fishes will certainly permit a very much more extensive 

 fishery than is now prosecuted. The principal grounds frequented by 

 the smaller boats are in the Northwest Channel, but there are numerous 

 other grounds in the vicinity where good fishing for the smaller fishes 

 may be had. The best fishing for groupers, mutton-fish, snappers, and 

 porgies is on the reef extending from Marquesas Eock to Eebecca 

 Shoals ; as this region is a considerable distance from Key West, it is 

 only visited by the larger boats. 



