54 



FISHERIES OF THE COASTAL WATERS OF FLORIDA. 



Species. 



Angel-fish 



Bluefish 



Channel bass 



CrevaUe 



Grunts 



Pompano, fresh 



Pompano, salted 



Sailor's choice or pinfish 



Sbeepshead 



Snappers, gray, and others 



Spanish mackerel, fresh 



Spanish mackerel, salted 



Trout 



Other fish 



Total '. 



Pounds. 



17, 100 

 89. 376 



24!!, 4-JU 

 14,594 

 23, 000 



246, 887 

 28. 000 

 39, 202 



344, 602 

 31,333 



237, 989 

 20, 000 



265, 968 

 25, 544 



1, 627, 015 



Value. 



$235 



1,786 



3,613 



219 



345 



13, 563 



1,680 



588 



5.167 



480 



10, 930 



1,210 



5,353 



404 



45, 573 



In the haul seines and stop nets operated primarily for mullet, con- 

 siderable quantities of other fish are caught, the species being practi- 

 cally the same as taken in the foregoing gill-net fishery. The fish thus 

 incidentally secured in 1895, as shown in the following table, aggregated 

 269,084 pounds and had a value of 85,494. 



Species. 



Pounds. 



Value. 



Bluefish 



Channel bass 



Crevalle 



Drum 



Flounders 



Grunts 



Pigfish 



Pompano, ties] \ 



Pompano, sal ted 



Sailor's choice or pinfish 



Sbeepshead 



Snappers, gray, etc 



Spanish mackerel 



Trout 



Total 



Red -snapper fishing. — In 1895 a Tampa vessel of 17 tons burden, carry- 

 ing 5 men, made a number of trips to the red-snapper banks, located 

 about 75 miles southwest of Egmont Key Light, at the entrance of 

 Tampa Bay. These trips were remarkably successful, and it is probable 

 that other vessels will soon enter this fishery. The catch amounted to 

 300,000 pounds of red snappers, having a value of $9,000, and 24,000 

 pounds of groupers, worth $300. 



Turtle fishing. — The turtle fishing in this extensive section is quite 

 limited. It is reported that in the Tampa region the green turtles are 

 nearly all killed off and that it does not now pay to follow the business, 

 although in 1890, when an investigation of the west Florida fisheries 

 was made by the United States Fish Commission, the fishery was com- 

 paratively important. In 1895 one small vessel from Tampa and two 

 boats from Punta Rassa engaged in hunting turtles during a part of the 

 year, four nets being used. The aggregate eatch was 9.375 pounds 

 (representing 55 turtles), valued at $563. 



