FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1925 265 



Sea gar Tylosurus (species). 



Sergeantfish or snook Centropomus undecimalis. 



Sharks All Selachii except Batoidei. 



Sheepshead Archosargus probatocephalus. 



Snapper, mangrove Lutianus griseus. 



Snapper, mutton Lutianus analis. 



Snapper, red Lutianus blackfordi. 



Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus. 



Spot Leiostomus xanthurus. 



Squeteagues or "sea trout" Cynoscion (species). 



Sturgeon Acipcnser sturio. 



Tang Teuthididse (species) . 



Yellowtail Ocyurus clirysurus. 



GENERAL STATISTICS 



The fisheries and fishery industries of the Gulf States in 1923 gave 

 employment to 17,793 persons, of whom 11,132 were engaged in 

 fishing operations, 1,785 in the wholesale trade, and 4,876 in the fish 

 canning and bj^-products industries. The investment amounted to 

 $10,535,905. Of this amount $5,196,541 was invested in vessels, boats r 

 gear, and shore property used by fishermen, $1,975,223 in property 

 and cash capital of the wholesale fish business, and $3,364,141 in 

 property and cash capital of the canning and by-products industries. 

 The yield of the fisheries aggregated 160,324,042 pounds, valued at 

 $8,096,650. The output of the canning and bv-products industries 

 was valued at $6,264,913. 



The west coast of Florida was foremost among the Gulf States in 

 the importance of her fisheries with 5,827 persons employed 

 $4,160,511 invested, and a production of 73,266,267 pounds of fishery 

 products, valued at $4,026,227. Louisiana was next, with 5,158 per- 

 sons employed, $2,606,297 invested, and a production of 34,835,194 

 pounds, valued at $1,961,100. Mississippi, Texas, and Alabama fol- 

 lowed in the order named. 



Based on value to the fishermen, shrimp, with a production of 

 44,246,177 pounds, valued at $1,735,422, was the most important of 

 the Gulf States fishery products, constituting 21.4 per cent of the 

 total value. Others, named in order of value, were oysters, 25,453,309 

 pounds, or 3,636,187 bushels, valued at $1,587,945 ; mullet, 30.797,824 

 pounds, valued at $1,207,114; sponges, 574,593 pounds, valued at 

 $873,572; red snapper, 11,728,845 pounds, valued at $864,857; and 

 squeteagues or "sea trout," 4,356,906 pounds, valued at $426,668. 

 Red drum, clams, menhaden, and groupers, with values between 

 $100,000 and $200,000, were next in order, and the remaining 41 

 varieties of fishery products aggregated 11,454,402 pounds, valued at 

 $461,469, and constituted less than 6 per cent of the total production. 



Compared with 1918, there was an increase of 2,905, or 19.5 per 

 cent, in the number of persons engaged p$3,998,046 or 61.2 per cent 

 in the amount of capital invested; 29,400,459 pounds, or 22.5 per 

 cent, in the quantity of fishery products landed by fishermen: and 

 $1,586,340, or 24.4 per cent in the value of these products. A large 

 portion of this increase resulted from the growth of the shrimp- 

 canning industry. In fact, the shrimp industries' remarkable growth 

 was_ the outstanding feature of conditions revealed by the 1923 

 statistics. 



