6 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



But the gathering of complete reliable statistical data — and un- 

 reliable data is worse than useless — is an expensive, laborious, and 

 extremely difficult task. During the last twenty years the Com- 

 missioners of Inland Fisheries have been giving an increasing amount 

 of attention to this work, and much valuable material has been col- 

 lected and recorded. 



More attention is now being giving to the matter than ever before. 



The trap-fishing in the bay and other waters of the State is one of 

 the most important industries. During the past eleven years the 

 statistics of location .and ownership have been annually collected and 

 published in detail in the reports of your Commission. The increase 

 in the number of traps during these years is remarkable, and if it is an 

 index of the growing demand for the products of the industry, is 

 significant of its future importance to the State and the people. 



Leaving out of account the traps at Block Island, the following 

 table gives a summary of the numlDers in the consecutive years from 

 1898 to 1908, inclusive: 



Number of Number of 



Year. traps. Year. traps. 



1898 119 1904 214 



1899 121 1905 234 



1900 135 1906 243 



1901 151 1907 265 



1902 161 1908 271 



1903 195 



It is to be noted that the growth in numbers has been constant and 

 fairly even; the yearly increase being 2, 14, 16, 10, 34, 19, 20, 9, 22, 

 and 6. The increase has been general in the various portions of the 

 State, though in some quarters it has been greater than in others. 

 This is indicated in the following table: 



Prov. East West Mt. Hope Sakonet East Off- 



Year. River. Green. Passage. Bay. River. Passage. Shore. 



1898 4 6 26 9 Si 15 25 



1908 7 38 32 12 87 22 73 



