FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1925 



263 



siderably less than previous years. The production of wire sponges 

 also showed a marked increase and exceeded that of anv year from 

 1919 to 1924, except 1923. 



Sponges sold at the exchange, Tarpon Springs, Fla., 1919 to 1925 



FISHERIES OF THE GULF STATES, 1923 



The statistics contained in this report apply to the commercial 

 coast fisheries of the western coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, 

 Louisiana, and Texas, and are for the year 1923. The canvass of 

 the fisheries was made by Rob Leon Greer and Carl B. Tendick, 

 agents of this bureau, with the assistance of temporary employees. 

 It is desired to thank the respective State fisheries officials for their 

 kindness in making their records available to these agents and in 

 otherwise cooperating to facilitate the acquisition of information in 

 this canvass. 



The canvass, in so far as possible, was conducted similarly to that 

 of the fisheries of the Gulf States in 1918, in order that the statistics 

 might be comparable. 4 



In the interests of economy and simplicity detailed statistics for 

 separate counties, hitherto published, have been omitted from this 

 report. The various tabulations for each county are on file, however, 

 and will be made available to investigators and other persons upon 

 request. 



EARLIER PUBLICATIONS 



Some of the earlier publications relating to the fisheries of the 

 Gulf States, published in Washington, D. C, are as follows : 



Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico, by Silas Stearns. In The Fisheries and 

 Fishery Industries of the United States, 1887, Section II, pp. 533-587. 



A Statistical Report on the Fisheries of the Gulf States, by J. W. Collins 

 and H. M. Smith. Bulletin, U. S. Fish Commission, 1891, pp. 91-184. 



Report on the Coast Fisheries of Texas, by Charles H. Stevenson. Appendix, 

 Report. U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1889-1891, pp. 373-420, 

 pis. 13-27. 



* The statistical reports published by the Bureau oi> Fisheries on the fisheries of the 

 coastal States include the commercial fisheries of the ocean, bays, and estuaries bordering 

 the States and also the river fisheries up as far from tidewater as the anadromous fishes 

 are commercially important. The statistics are for the calendar year, excepting those of 

 the oyster yield, which are for the season ending during the calendar year. The products 

 shown as yield of the fisheries are those produced and marketed by' fishermen, and the 

 values are based on the prices paid to the fishermen. Where vessels and boats are shown 

 separately, vessels are all craft of 5 net tons and upward as measured by the United 

 States Customs Service, and boats are all craft under 5 net tons. The " vessel fisheries " 

 are those prosecuted by vessels defined as above, and the shore fisheries are those prose 

 cuted by boats as defined above or without employment of water craft. The statistics 

 are credited to the county and State in which the fisherman makes his home port. In 

 some cases this may be distant from the place where the fish are caught and marketed, 

 but usually the fish are caught in the waters contiguous to and marketed iu the county 

 and State to which they are credited. 



7477—26- 



