FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 51 



half the price of the others; the average value is 1 cent each; the eggs 

 weigh about a pound to a dozen, and are 1£ inches in diameter. The 

 number gathered in 1895 was over 45,000. 



At Key West and throughout the key region there is the same testi- 

 mony as to the decrease of green turtles, owing to excessive fishing. 

 It is now much more difficult than formerly to obtain a good fare, and 

 the boats are compelled to range over a wider territory. The opinion 

 is freely expressed that unless something is done the business will 

 cease to be remunerative. The fishermen comment upon the fact that 

 for the past few years the green turtles have not been depositing their 

 eggs on Key West and the adjacent keys. It is very probable that 

 this is owing to the excessive hunting of this species, and that they 

 now deposit their eggs on the more distant and inaccessible keys. 

 This has cut off quite an important and profitable business, as the 

 gathering of green-turtle eggs — which are better liked than those of 

 the loggerhead — was carried on by a number of people. 



The results of the turtle fishery in 1895 are shown in the following 

 table. The 410,112 pounds of products taken are seen to have had a 

 market value at Key West of $19,957. 



FISHERIES OF TAMPA AND TRIBUTARY SECTIONS. 1 



Tampa's importance as a fishing center. — Owing to its exceedingly 

 favorable situation and its railroad and steamship lines, which afford 

 ample facilities for the rapid shipping of fishery products in every 

 direction, Tampa has become the most important fishing and distribut- 

 ing center for fresh fish on the Florida coast, with the exception of 

 Pensacola. There are only two bays on the west coast of the State 

 which permit easy access to large vessels ; these are Escambia Bay, 

 on which Pensacola is located, and Tampa Bay, on an arm of which, 

 called Hillsboro Bay, Tampa is situated. Tampa is now the receiving 

 center for most of the fish taken in Hillsboro, Manatee, and Lee 

 counties, and also for a large part of the catch of De Soto County. 

 Considerable fresh-fish trade, however, is carried on at St. Petersburg 

 on Tampa Bay, in Hillsboro County, and at Punta Gorda, on Charlotte 

 Harbor, in De Soto County, both of these places being railroad termini. 

 The railroad companies have directly encouraged the fishing industry 

 by giving reasonable rates; in 1895, they contemplated an advance of 



1 Includes the counties of Hillsboro, Manatee, Lee, De Soto, aud Pasco. 



