72 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



only 56.18 per cent of the 1908 catch and 24.38 per cent of the 1902 

 catch; of clams, to only 27.14 per cent of the 1908 catch and 16.81 

 per cent of the 1902 catch; ancl of oysters, to only 26.70 per cent of 

 the 1908 catch and 21.21 per cent of the 1902 catch. 



The principal factors affecting the abundance of shad in our 

 Atlantic coast waters appear to be unsatisfactory spawning areas, 

 due to pollution and artificial barriers restricting the movements of 

 the fish in the rivers, and interference with the fish in their migra- 

 tions to the spawning areas and while on these areas. It is con- 

 ceivable that, unless these conditions are rectified, the consumer 

 may have to depend on the Pacific coast for these lish at some not 

 far distant date. In North Carolina, while 'pollution is believed to 

 have been a less signihcant factor than in some of the other States, 

 interference with the free movement of a sufficient body of the fish 

 to the spawning areas and (hiring the spawning period is considered 

 <;o be an important factor affecting the supply oi fish in the waters, 

 which fish-cultural operations have been unable to wholly counter- 

 act. A study of the production figures for striped bass would- indi- 

 cate that the supply of this fish is being depleted. Difficulties in 

 propagation, such as inability to procure ripe fish of both sexes at 

 same time, handicap operations in this field. The decline in the 

 catch of oysters would indicate how important it is for the State to 

 give more serious consideration to the encouragement of oyster 

 farming. In this connection the results of forrjer investigations of 

 the Bureau should prove of interest, notably a document by Dr. 

 ^aswell Grave. ^° 



FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 



The statistics as to the number of persons employed, investment, 

 and products of the fisheries of North Carolina in 1918 are given by 

 counties in the appended table. It will be noted that of the catch 

 of sea bass of 111,650 pounds, valued at $10,928, 59,650 pounds, 

 valued at $5,763, are credited to Carteret County. The increase in 

 the catch for this county is directly attributable in large part to the 

 Bureau for its work in locating the small fishing grounds along this 

 section of the coast and for encouragement given to the establish- 

 ment of an important fishery. Difficulties in marketing the catch 

 at satisfactory prices are reported to have retarded the fullest de- 

 velopment of this fishery. 



As a result of the Bureau's efforts to develop fisheries for sharks 

 and other unutilized aquatic animals and to encourage the saving 

 of the hides for tanning into leather and the extraction of the liver 

 oil of sharks, etc., 20,175 pounds of the hides of sharks, porpoise, 

 etc., valued at $3,025, and 720 gallons of shark oil, valued at $540, 

 were saved in 1918. 



"'0 Grave, Caswell: Investigations for the Promotion of the Oyster Industry of North America. Report 

 U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, 1903 (1905), p. 247-341, X pi. 



