A comparison of the returns of one 5-month 

 trip in 1956-57 by the boat with the two 

 youngest divers (about 40 years of age) com- 

 pared with returns for the same trip by other 

 diving boats is rather revealing: 



Boat with youngest divers . . . $17,808.00 



Boat A 11,434.00 



Boat B 9,202.00 



Boat C 8,061.00 



Boat D 7,136.00 



The boat with the youngest divers had a return 

 that was over 50 percentgreater than any other 

 boat. (These returns are based on sales in the 

 Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange; it is possible 

 but unlikely that some sponges were sold by 

 these boats outside the Sponge Exchange.) 



for several months and at times for longer 

 periods. It is the general rule of the diving 

 boats that the sponges from the 5-month trip, 

 the "long trip," be sold at the end of the trip 

 so that the men can receive their shares. The 

 boat owner or sponsor of the trip is also 

 anxious to sell the sponges at that time, as 

 he has been paying out a weekly allowance to 

 each of the families of the crew throughout the 

 5-month period. With trips ending as they do in 

 January and July, these 2 months usually have 

 the highest sales. It is quite possible, however, 

 that in December the price may be so favor- 

 able that the sale takes place during this time 

 and the totals for the current year are affected 

 considerably. Heavy sales may take place in 

 any month if there is a sudden attractive ad- 

 vance in price. 



Even with the boat trip expenses (for 5 

 months) of $1,800, the diver's earnings would be 

 $5,500 per year; and if he were captain as well, 

 his yearly income could be over $7,000. 



Second, to recruit divers from the local 

 area. As pointed out above, an increase in the 

 actual cash return to the diver would be an 

 inducement. Better physical facilities for the 

 crews of the sponging boats would also attract 

 men. 



In table 14, the number of pieces of wool 

 sponge given per year is fairly accurate for 

 all years except 1950 when sales were not 

 recorded on a per piece basis. The figures 

 have been arrived at by use of the conversion 

 factor now being used to convert number of 

 pieces to pounds by the Branch of Statistics 

 of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (table 

 13). This factor is based on an analysis of data 

 supplied by the Tarpon Springs Sponge Ex- 

 change. 



Analysis of the Yearly Take and 

 Value of Sponges, 1950-56 



As sponges have been sold by the piece 

 rather than the pound since 1951, it is possible 

 to gain considerable insight into the value of the 

 sponges and the market since 1950 by analysing 

 the data available. Because sponges are dried 

 and cured aboard the boat, there is no need to 

 sell them as soon as they are landed. If the 

 price at any time is not thought to be satis- 

 factory, sale of the sponges may be held over 



In table 14, the numbers of yellow, grass, 

 and glove sponges are not always accurate 

 since sales slips records indicated that sponges 

 were sold either on a combined per piece 

 basis or as bunches. In the latter case the 

 number of pieces in each bunch could be roughly 

 calculated only from individual sales records 

 during some part of the year. Only in 1951, 

 1955, and 1956 were the sales recorded by 

 individual pieces, with each species of sponge 

 being sold separately. Thus, the figures for 

 these years are the only truly accurate ones 



Table 13. — Number of wool, yellow, grass, and glove sponges 



to the pound 



1 



From statistical records of Tarpon Springs Sponge Exchange. 



55 



