XII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



The fish landed by collecting vessels amounted to 18,166,710 

 pounds, valued at $1,389,265, showing an increase of 779,232 pounds 

 over last year. 



SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER 



The regular annual statistics of the shad and alewife fisheries of 

 the Potomac River were taken for the season of 1924. They show 

 that the shad fishery yielded 172,310 fish, weighing 578,210 pounds 

 and valued at $88,450 to the fishermen. This marks an unprece- 

 dentedly small catch, amounting to only 49 per cent by number and 

 45 per cent by value of the 1923 catch, which itself was less than half 

 as large as the preceding year's catch. 



The catch of alewives, amounting to 15,133,388 fish, weighing 

 6,052,756 pounds and valued at $56,552 to the fishermen, was greater 

 than the 1923 catch by 32 per cent in number and 14 per cent in 

 value and was the largest catch in recent years. 



FLORIDA SPONGE FISHERY 



In 1924 the quantity of sponges sold at the Sponge Exchange, 

 Tarpon Springs, Fla., was 425,305 pounds, valued at $714,760, of 

 which 265,392 pounds, valued at $599,221, were large wool; 58,021 

 pounds, valued at $72,652, small wool; 81,420 pounds, valued at 

 $37,996, yellow; 14,898 pounds, valued at $2,661, grass; and 5,574 

 pounds, valued at $2,230, wire. It is estimated that sponges to the 

 value of $50,000 were sold outside of the Exchange at Tarpon 

 Springs. 



Compared with the production in 1923 this indicates a decrease 

 of 13 per cent in total quantity and 3 per cent in total value. When 

 compared with the annual production from 1919 to 1923, however, 

 it is apparent that the 1924 output was only slightly below normal 

 in quantity and above normal in value. 



FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES 



A canvass of the fisheries of the South Atlantic States was made 

 for the calendar year 1923, and the statistics were published in con- 

 densed form as Statistical Bulletin No. 652. The results of this 

 canvass show that there were 16,298 persons engaged in the fisheries 

 and fishery industries, the investment was $8,505,223, and 228,747,- 

 930 pounds of fishery products, having a value to the fishermen of 

 $5,087,340, were produced. 



Some of the more important species taken,' arranged in the order 

 of their value, were shrimp, 23,705,901 pounds, valued at $821,861 ; 

 menhaden, 148,180,970 pounds, valued at $752,026; shad, 3,190,666 

 pounds, valued at $716,649; oysters, from public and private beds, 

 11,172,336 pounds or 1,596,048 bushels, valued at $448,137; sque- 

 teagues, or '' sea trout," 5,258,047 pounds, valued at $381,155 ; mullet, 

 7,734,412 pounds fresh and 622,000 pounds salted, valued together at 

 $378,301; bluefish, 2,004,244 pounds, valued at $214,826; Spanish 

 mackerel, 2,652,341 pounds, valued at $205,987; cero and kingfish, 

 1,966,596 pounds, valued at $161,201 ; and alcAvives or river herring, 

 2,609,347 pounds fresh and 4,961,050 pounds salted, valued together 

 at $146,104. 



