REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF STATISTICS AND METHODS 

 OF THE FISHERIES. 



By C. H. TowNSENi), Axsisf(i)it In Charge. 



The commercial fisheries of the United States employ about 200,000 

 persons, the amount of capital invested is $60,000,000, and the annual 

 value of the products to the fishermen is approximately $50,000,000. 

 The difl'erent regions in which fisheries exist are the New England, 

 Middle Atlantic, and South Atlantic States on the Atlantic coast, the 

 Gulf States on the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast States, Alaska, 

 the Great Lakes, and the various rivers and minor lakes. 



At the commencement of the present fiscal year the statistical agents 

 of this division were in the field engaged in investigations of the lob- 

 ster, sturgeon, menhaden, and salmon fisheries of the Atlantic coast. 

 A thorough canvass was made of the entire lobster fishery, Mr. W. A. 

 Wilcox canvassing Massachusetts; Mr. T. M. Cogswell, Massachusetts 

 and New Hampshire; Mr. E. S. King, Rhode Island; Mr. C. H. Ste- 

 venson, New York; Mr. W. A. Roberts, Connecticut and a portion of 

 Rhode Island; Mr. John B. Wilson, New Jersey and Delaware; Mr. 

 G. H. H. Moore, Maine. Mr. C. G. Atkins, superintendent of the Fish 

 Commission station at Craig Brook, Maine, made a canvass of the 

 salmon fishery of the Penobscot River, Mr. J. N. Cobb, who during 

 the summer had been detailed to assist in an investigation of the fish- 

 eries of the Hawaiian Islands, was for a short time engaged in making 

 inquiries respecting certain fisheries centered in New York City. In 

 the autumn Mr. C. H. Stevenson made inquiries in Connecticut and 

 Massachusetts respecting the preservation of fishery products. Mr. 

 E. A. Tulian, superintendent of the Fish Commission station at Lead- 

 ville, Colo., made a canvass of the fisheries of Utah and Colorado. 



A canvass of the fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States was then 

 begun, Mr. W. A. Wilcox taking up the work in Virginia and Mr. J. B. 

 Wilson in New Jersey. Mr. Roberts was assigned to the canvass of 

 Maryland and was assisted for a time by Mr. Wilson, who later took 

 up the work in New Jersey. Mr. Cobb was assigned to New York 

 and Mr. Stevenson to portions of Virginia and Maryland. Mr. 

 Thomas B. Gould was temporarily employed in canvassing the fish- 

 eries of Pennsylvania and New Jersey on the Delaware River. At 

 the close of the fiscal year the investigations of the fisheries of the 



Middle Atlantic States were still in progress. 



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