108 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



The products of the fisheries amounted to 471,219,089 pounds, 

 valued at $8,541 ,724. The species of chief importance arranged in the 

 order of their value were as follows: Oysters, 27,744,983 pounds, or 

 3,963,569 bushels, valued at $2,349,i61; menhaden, 366,379,425 

 pounds, valued at $2,158,518; shad, 7,293,805 pounds, valued at 

 $1,145,106; squeteaguos, or ''sea trout," 12,908,502 pounds, valued 

 at $654,521; crabs, 13,637,079 pounds, valued at $565,564; croaker, 

 16,372,134 pounds, valued at $513,975; alewives, 16,665,100 pounds, 

 valued at $259,258; clams, 499,440 pounds, valued at $229,645; 

 and butterfish, 3,018,842 pounds, valued at $136,894. 



Compared with 1904 there was a decrease in the number of persons 

 employed in the fisheries of Virgmia of 9,490, or 32.87 per cent, but 

 increases in the investment amounting to $6,094,565, or 132.06 

 per cent, in the quantity of products amounting to 115,903,291 

 pounds, or 32.61 per cent, and in the value of the products amounting 

 to $2,957,370, or 52.95 per cent. 



For comparative purposes the products of certain of the important 

 fisheries of the State for various years beginning with 1890 are 

 shown in the following table. It will be noted from an examination 

 of this table that the catch of shad, alewives, and squeteagues has 

 fluctuated to a lesser degree than the catch of the other important 

 species. There has been a marked increase in the catch of Dutter- 

 fish, croaker, and menhaden, but a decrease in the catch of crabs 

 and oysters. 



Products ob^ Certain Fisheries of Virginia, Various Years, 1890 to 1921. 



Species. 



1890 



1891 



1904 



Alewives 



Butterfish 



Croaker 



Menhaden 



Shad 



Squeteagues or "sea trout 

 Crabs 



Oysters 



Pounds. 



10,641,698 



138, 7.53 



1, 124, 525 



107,341,713 



7, 266, 207 



4, 072, 304 



3,025,104 



Bushels. 

 6,074,025 



Pounds. 

 11,013,485 

 120, 000 

 1,075,690 

 105, 980, 334 

 6, 498, 242 

 3, 929, 899 

 2, 794, 027 



Bushels. 

 6,162,086 



Pounds. 

 13,689,510 

 465, 828 

 4,161,529 

 178,656,362 

 11,529,474 

 6, 525, 806 

 6,399,514 



Bushels. 

 7,023,848 



Pounds. 



13, 913, 444 

 1, 071, 860 

 3, 937, 168 

 273, 493, 799 

 6,972,212 

 7,431,496 

 7, 401, 701 



Bushels. 

 6,067,669 



Pounds. 



14,603,866 

 1,335,391 

 3, 842, 709 

 247,918,766 

 7,419,899 

 6,951,068 



12,266,706 



Bushels. 

 7,612,289 



1 The statistics for oysters are for 1912. 



