372 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 MAYAGUEZ. 



The city of Mayag-iiez ranks third, with a population of 15,187. 

 The district of Mayag-iiez has a population of 127,566. This district 

 suffered severely from the hurricane of 1899. The importations of 

 fishery products received at this port in 1897 and 1902 were as follows: 



Besides the direct imports here shown, quite a large amount of fishery 

 products from the United States was received in 1902 b}' local steamers 

 from San Juan, 



The Bshery products are handled by Fritze Luudt & Co. , Morales, 

 Gonzales & Co., Sabater & Co., and Bravo & Co. The wholesale 

 prices of fish at the date visited, February 16, 1903, were as follows: 

 Codfish, 5i cents per pound; haddock, Jri; hake, 3; pollock, 3; split 

 herring, $6 per barrel; smoked herring, 20 cents a box. 



Average wholesale values per pound of dry cod at Mayaguez {expressed in cents). 



Hake, haddock, and pollock meet with onl}^ a small demand; split 

 herring in moderate request; round herring, alewives, and boneless 

 fish are not desirable. Quite an amount of canned fisherv products 

 of various kinds is imported from Europe, sardines predominating. 

 With the exception of canned salmon, canned fish from the United 

 States is seldom seen. 



In the number of inhabitants and the amount of fisherv products 

 handled the cit}^ and district of Ponce hirgely lead any other section 

 of Porto Rico. The last census reports the city with 27,952, and the 

 district 203,191 inhabitants. 



The Spanish records show the total amount of fishery imports 

 received at Ponce in 1897 as 17,289,196 pounds, of a value in Spanish 

 silver of $1,030,854, on which the duties amounted to $72,832. In 



