FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1938 541 
River and its tributaries, for the years 1894, 1895, 1900, and 1902. 
Statistical agents.—The statistics contained in this volume have been 
collected by a corps of trained statistical and marketing agents which 
comprises a part of the permanent staff of the Division of Fishery 
Industries of the Bureau. In the main they are college graduates 
and were recruited through civil-service examination. While in 
college, many of the men pursued biological or technical courses, 
largely in fishery work, which has especially suited them for coping 
with the many biological and technical aspects encountered in can- 
vassing the fisheries. This training has been especially helpful in 
identification of the species which, because of the many local names 
applied to a particular species, causes considerable confusion. 
Period covered.—In conducting the fishery statistical surveys, agents 
are dispatched to the districts to be surveyed as early in the calendar 
year as they can be spared from the tabulation and preparation for 
publication of their previous season’s work. They collect statistics 
of fishery operations for the year preceding that in which they are 
working; and, since their field work occupies the greater part of the 
year, it is usually at least a year from the end of the calendar year for 
which they are collecting data until the figures are published. Most of 
the figures are collected for the calendar year. Where there are varia- 
tions from this general practice, explanatory notes appear in the tables. 
Prior to 1930, statistics on the catch of oysters in the Atlantic and Gulf 
States were collected for the oyster season; that is, from September to 
April, inclusive. Beginning with 1930 and down to the present, they 
have been collected on the basis of the calendar year. 
Scope.—The scope of the coastal statistical surveys includes can- 
vasses of the commercial fisheries of the oceans and bays and of the 
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 cover 
canvasses of the fisheries of the Mississippi River proper as well as all 
of its tributaries wherein commercial fishing for either fish, crustaceans, 
or mollusks is prosecuted. Statistics of the fisheries of the Great 
Lakes cover canvasses of the fisheries prosecuted in the Lakes proper, 
adjacent bays, and the international lakes of northern Minnesota, 
as well as rivers which sustain a commercial fishery having outlets into 
these waters. Surveys for statistics of the wholesale and manufactur- 
ing fishery industries cover such plants located in the coastal, river, and 
lake areas adjacent to the waters mentioned above. 
Methods of collection.—Several methods for the collection of fishery 
statistics are employed, each of which has been carefully studied to 
obtain the best results with the available personnel and funds. In 
most instances the agents obtain lists of the names of fishing vessels, 
names or numbers of motorboats, and names of owners of these craft 
from local customs officials. Also it often is possible to obtain the 
names of licensed commercial fishermen and occasionally some statis- 
tics on the catch from several of the State fishery agencies; from other 
State, county, or city agencies; or from private organizations. 
With such preliminary records as are available for their guidance the 
agents then visit each fishing community in their field unless their 
preliminary records are so complete that personal visits in some areas 
may be eliminated. While it is impossible for the few agents available 
for this work to interview each fisherman in a given locality, the more 
