434 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



as landed by the fishermen, the quantity or number of each kind of 

 gear used, the number of fishing boats, the number and net tonnage 

 of fishing and transporting vessels, the number of wholesale establish- 

 ments, the amount of wages and salaries paid in these establishments, 

 the quantity and value of products prepared, and the number of 

 persons engaged in each phase of the industry. 



The scope of the coastal surveys includes the commercial fisheries of 

 the oceans, bays, and coastal rivers as far inland as commercial fishing 

 is important. This usually coincides with the range of commercial 

 fishing for anadromous species. Statistics of the fisheries of the 

 Mississippi River include the fisheries of the Mississippi River proper, 

 as well as all tributaries wherein commerical fishing for either fish, 

 crustaceans, or mollusks is prosecuted. Statistics of the lake fisheries 

 include those prosecuted in the Great Lakes, adjacent bays, and the 

 international lakes of northern Minnesota, as well as certain rivers 

 having outlets into these waters. 



Beginning in 1929 general fishery statistics have been collected on 

 an annual basis for all of the marine and lake sections of the United 

 States and Alaska. 



In conducting these surveys it is the custom of the bureau to dis- 

 patch agents to the districts to be surveyed early in the calendar year. 

 (It should be noted that statistics on the catch of oysters for 1930 

 cover the calendar year. In previous years statistics for this mollusk 

 were for the oyster season.) They obtain statistics on operations 

 during the previous calendar year. The agents conducting these 

 surveys are trained men or recruits working under the close supervision 

 of trained men. Recruits are permitted to work individually only 

 after proving a satisfactory aptitude for the work during their training 

 period. While it is impossible for the few agents available to interview 

 each fisherman in a given locality, the more important ones are visited 

 and a sufficient number of those of lesser importance are interviewed 

 to obtain reliable information on their production. In practice, 

 virtually all wholesale firms are visited, as well as captains of fishing 

 vessels (those of 5 net tons or over) and also all the more important 

 shore fishermen and representative small producers. 



As an aid in locating fishermen, lists of vessels and motor-boat 

 owners are obtained from local customhouses. It is also often possible 

 to obtain the names of licensed commercial fishermen and occasionally 

 some statistics of the catch from the various State fishery agencies. 

 In the Great Lakes and Pacific Coast States such exceptional cooper- 

 ation has been obtained from the State agencies in recent years that 

 only fragmentary surveys are made by the bureau to supplement 

 missing data. Virginia and Maryland have recently adopted very 

 complete statistical plans. 



For the Great Lakes and international lakes of northern Minnesota 

 the bureau obtains catch statistics and usually the value of the catch 

 direct from the State records. To obtain data on the fishermen, 

 boats, vessels, and gear the bureau conducts such personal surveys 

 among the fishermen as may be necessary to supplement the State 

 records. Annual catch statistics are available since 1913. 



Agents are stationed at Seattle, Wash., who survey each of the 

 Pacific Coast States annually to supplement data that are missing 

 from the State records. In most cases the value of the catch is 

 derived from dealers' records and from estimates of prices. In 



