64 



FISHERY IISTDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



amounted to 87,584,072 pounds, valued at $2,808,213, and in 1918 

 to 74,856,324 pounds, valued at S3, 743, 499, a decrease of 14.53 per 

 cent in quantity and an increase of 33.30 per cent in value. Com- 

 pared with 1902 the increase in North Carolina amounted to 142,- 

 917,016 pounds, or 211.46 per cent, in quantity and SI, 239, 047, or 

 71.22 per cent, in value; in Georgia, to 26,051,343 pounds, or 234.64 

 per cent, in quantity and $56,962, or 15.86 per cent, in value; and 

 on the east coast of JFlorida, to 61,627,223 pounds, or 314.67 per cent, 

 in quantity and $1,268,307, or 265.41 per cent, in value. In South 

 Carolina there was a decrease in the quantity amounting to 4,427,531 

 pounds, or 54.16 per cent, and in value of $55,333, or 21.03 per cent. 



As an index of the trend of the fisheries of the South Atlantic 

 States it is of interest to compare for various years from 1890 to 1918 

 the catch of certain staple species with the take of forms which have 

 increased greatly in importance in recent years, species of wliich in 

 the past there has been a comparative abundance but a lack of demand. 

 For this purpose alewives, mullet, shad, squeteagues, and oysters 

 have been selected as representative of staple varieties and cere 

 (including kingfish), red and black drum, menhaden, Spanish mack- 

 erel, and shrimp, representing species for which the demand has 

 greatly increased in recent years, resulting in much more intensive 

 nshing oj)erations. Lacking accurate data, for comparative purposes, 

 as to the intensiveness with which these fisheries were prosecuted, it is 

 difficult to draw definite conclusions regarding the present status of 

 these fisheries, but the figures are nevertheless of interest. A study 

 of the appended table reveals comparatively small fluctuations in the 

 catch of alewives over the entire period. The fishery for mullet has 

 more than doubled since 1890 but shows a reduction in the catch in 

 1918 as compared with 1902 and 1908. That the supply of shad is 

 being depleted is indicated by the striking reduction in the catch in 

 1918 in comparison with that for other years. In comparison with 

 1908, the decrease amounts to 5,683,356 pounds, or 66.30 per cent. 

 The fluctuation in the catch of squeteagues is not so marked, and in 

 the absence of accurate information as to the intensiveness of fishing 

 operations for the various years, the status of this fishery is largely 

 conjectural. As on other parts of the coast, there has been a striking 

 decline in the take of oysters. 



With greater development of the fisheries and inability to supply 

 the demand for staple varieties, the growth of other fisheries has 

 been quite striking as indicated by the statistics for cero and kingfish, 

 red and black drum, Spanish mackerel, and shrimp. On the Atlantic 

 seaboard, the demand for red drum or "channel bass," as it is often 

 called, haa never been as great as on the Gulf and difficulty has been 

 experienced in marketing it, particularly in the more northern part 

 of its range. The increased catch of menhaden for conversion mto 

 oil and scrap is also of interest. 



Products, in Pounds, op Certain Fisheries of the South Atlantic States, 

 Various Years, 1890 to 1918. 



