FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1925 289 



TEXAS 



The coastal fisheries of Texas in 1923 gave employment to 1,399 

 persons, of whom 261 were on fishing vessels, 16 on transporting 

 vessels, and 1,122 in the shore and boat fisheries. The investment in 

 the fisheries amounted to $567,114. Included in this investment were 

 32 fishing vessels with a total net tonnage of 797 tons, valued at 

 $229,900, and with outfits, valued at $34,800; 6 transporting vessels 

 with a total net tonnage of 39 tons, valued at $3,850, and with outfits, 

 valued at $440; 250 power boats, valued at $135,400; 115 sailboats, 

 valued at $59,300; 408 rowboats, valued at $12,250; fishing apparatus 

 on vessels, valued at $10,898 ; fishing apparatus in the shore and boat 

 fisheries, valued at $65,176 ; and shore and accessory property, valued 

 at $15,100. The yield of the fisheries was 19,559,608 pounds of fish 

 and shellfish, valued at $782,013. The most important items, given 

 in order of value, were oysters, 2,519,846 pounds, valued at $176,076; 

 shrimp, 3,421,638 pounds, valued at $158,519; squeteagues or "sea 

 trout," 1,523,965 pounds, valued at $154,238; red snapper, 1,008,960 

 pounds, valued at $80,717; red drum or redfish, 877,760 pounds, 

 valued at $72,299; menhaden, 8,517,000 pounds, valued at $56,780; 

 and black drum. 1,028,451 pounds, valued at $36,807. 



Fisheries. — The vessel fisheries produced 10,062,435 pounds of fish 

 and shellfish, valued at $168,663. Lines produced the most valuable 

 yield, consisting of 1,047,635 pounds of red snapper, grouper, and 

 jewfish, valued at $81,875. Purse seines yielded 8,517,000 pounds of 

 menhaden, valued at $56,780. Haul seines, trammel nets, otter trawls, 

 dredges, and tongs each yielding products valued under $15,000, 

 took the remainder of the catch. 



The shore and boat fisheries produced 9,497,171 pounds, valued at 

 $613,350. The most valuable yield was by haul seines and consisted 

 of 2,618,862 pounds, valued at $174,023, of which squeteagues or " sea 

 trout," red drum or redfish, black drum, and shrimp were the largest 

 items. Otter trawls were next, with 2,965,110 pounds of shrimp and 

 crabs, valued at $137,617. Tongs followed with 1,849,946 pounds of 

 oysters, valued at $131,825. Trammel nets yielded 692,998 pounds, 

 valued at $63,851, consisting largely of squeteagues or " sea trout," 

 and red drum or redfish; gill nets caught 540,190 pounds, valued at 

 $39,635, also consisting mostly of squeteagues and drum. Lines 

 caught 358,865 pounds, valued at $33,157, of which squeteagues, 

 Spanish mackerel, and crabs were important items; dredges produced 

 389,900 pounds of oysters, valued at $26,334; and 81,300 pounds of 

 flounders, valued at $6,906, were caught with spears. 



Wholesale trade and industries. — The wholesale fishery trade was 

 conducted by 33 establishments, valued at $288,948, with cash capital 

 of $59,830, and employing 449 persons, to whom $116,289 were paid 

 in wages. 



Fish canning and by-products manufacture were carried on by 8 

 establishments, valued at $223,296, with cash capital of $45,000 and 

 employing 249 persons, to whom $51,023 were paid in wages. The 

 total output was valued at $172,558, of which $72,232 was the value 

 of canned shrimp and oysters and $100,326 the value of other prod- 

 ucts and by-products. 



