356 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



pounds fresh and 622,000 pounds salted, valued altogether at S378,301 ; 

 Muefish, 2,004,244 pounds, valued at S214,826; Spanish mackerel, 

 2,652,341 pounds, valued at $205,987; cero and kingfish, 1,966,596 

 pounds, valued at $161,201; and alewives or river herring, 2,609,347 

 pounds fresh and 4,961,050 pounds salted, valued altogether at 

 $146,104. 



Compared with the statistics for 1918 there was an increase of 8.3 

 per cent in the persons engaged, an increase of 14.6 per cent in the 

 investment, and a decrease of 31.2 per cent in the quantity and 4.9 

 per cent in the value of the products of the fisheries. In North Caro- 

 lina there was an increase of 15.8 per cent in persons engaged, a de- 

 crease of 0.6 per cent in the investment, and a decrease of 54.8 percent 

 in the quantity and 18.9 per cent in the value of products of the fish- 

 eries. In South Carolina there was an increase of 8.2 per cent in 

 persons engaged, 174.2 per cent in investment, and 80.5 per cent in 

 the quantity and 37.1 per cent in the value of products of the fisheries. 

 The fisheries of Georgia also showed increases in all phases of the 

 industry; there was an increase of 20.2 per cent in persons engaged, 

 79 per cent in the investment, 7.4 per cent in the quantity, and 60.6 

 per cent in the value of the production. On the east coast of Florida 

 there was a decrease of 15.7 per cent of persons engaged, an increase 

 of 5 per cent in the investment, an increase of 7 per cent in quantity 

 of fishery products, and a decrease of 1.5 per cent in the value of the 

 products. 



Practically all of the decrease in production may be attributed to a 

 failure in the menhaden fishery, which in 1923 produced only 148,180,- 

 970 pounds, as compared with 257,757,799 pounds in 1918. Other 

 fishes showing a severe decrease since 1918 are alewives, cero and 

 kingfish, red and black drum, mullet, and Sj^anish mackerel. The 

 yield of shad and squeteague or "sea trout" increased somewhat, and 

 the production of shrimp and oysters was greatly increased over that 

 of 1918. 



Persons engaged in the fisheries of the South Atlantic States in 1923 



States 



On vessels 

 fishing 



On vessels 

 transporting 



In shore 

 fisheries 



Shoresmen i Total 



North Carolina 



South Carolina 



Oeorgia 



Florida (east coast) 



Total 



1,055 



186 

 231 



5,140 



1,044 



620 



1,810 



1,480 



180 



8,614 



3,062 



1,018 



1,184 



760 



6,024 



9,308 

 2,164 

 2,019 

 2,807 



16, 298 



