FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1931 429 

 FISHERIES OF PUERTO RICO 



A general survey of the fisheries of Puerto Rico was made in 1899, 

 immediately after the American occupation of that island, but no 

 detailed data on catch, fishermen, and gear employed were secured. 

 The survey made in 1931 was the first statistical and marketing sur- 

 vey made of the fisheries of Puerto Rico. 



During 1930, the fisheries of Puerto Rico employed 1,403 fisher- 

 men. Their catch amounted to 3,080,100 pounds of fishery products 

 valued at $207,085 to the fishermen. In making the catch the fisher- 

 men used 9 motor boats, 240 sailboats, and 462 rowboats. The gear 

 employed consisted of 91 haul seines, 285 gill nets, 14 trammel nets, 

 366 cast nets, 31 dip nets, 9 hoop nets, 15 weirs (corrals), 912 hand 

 lines, 133 trawl lines, 334 troll lines, and 4,239 fish pots. 



As the fishermen keep no records of their operations, it was impos- 

 sible to separate the catch by species. In general it may be stated 

 that about 50 per cent of the catch is taken by fish pots, 30 per cent 

 by nets, and 20 per cent by lines or other apparatus. 



Fisheries of Puerto Rico, 19S0 



Persons engaged, fishermen 1, 403 



Boats: 



fe,> Motor 9 



y Sail 240 



r Row 462 



Apparatus: 



Haul seines 91 



Length, vards 19, 820 



Gill nets ' 285 



Square yards 55, 835 



Trammel nets 14 



Square yards 6, 940 



Cast nets 366 



Dip nets 31 



Hoop nets 9 



Fish pots 4, 239 



Weirs or corrals 15 



Lines — 



Hand 912 



Hooks 2, 501 



Trawl 133 



Hooks 18,087 



Troll 334 



Hooks 334 



Forks (used in taking langosta or spiny lobster) 46 



Catch- 

 Pounds 3,080, 100 



Value $207,085 



COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF FISHERY PRODUCTS 



In order to prevent misunderstanding from the use of common 

 names employed in the tables and discussions, the following list of 

 common and scientific names is given: 



