FISHEKV INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 192!) 021 



Fisheries and related industries of Lake Okeechobee, /'7a., l-9:i8 — Coiitintii'd 

 OPERATING UNITS: By counties 



Items 



Fishermen: On boats and shore, regular 

 Boats: 



Motor 



Other - 



.\pparatus: 



Haul seines, common 



Yards :. 



Lines- 

 Hand.. 



Hooks 



Trot with hooks 



Hooks 



Fykes 



Glades I Okeechobee 



Number 

 212 



62 



198 



18,750 



5 

 5 



6 

 2,200 

 11,700 



Number 

 54 



12 

 10,200 



1 

 300 

 700 



Palm 

 Beach 



Nvmhcr 



2 



l.HOO 



CATCH: By COUNTIES 



WHOLESALE FISHERY TRADE 



Items 



Glades 



County 



Establishments 3 



Persons engaged: 



Proprietors ' 3 



Salaried employees 3 



Wage earners 12^ 



Paid to salaried employees $3,980 



Paid to wage earners 8,622 



Total salaries and wages 12,602 



Okeecho- 

 bee and 

 Palm 

 Beach 

 Counties 



$2, 400 

 4,628 



7,028 



$6, 380 

 13, 250 



19,630 



SPONGE FISHERY 



In the waters along the Gulf coast of Florida is located the only 

 commercial sponge fishery in the United States. During 1928 this 

 fishery employed 816 fishermen, which is 6 per cent more than the 

 number employed during 1927. Their catch amounted to 554,358 

 pounds, valued at $851,362. This represents a decrease of 8 per cent 

 in the catch and 18 per cent in the value of the catch, as compared 

 with the catch and its value for the previous year. The greater part 

 of the catch consisted of sheepswool sponges, although there were 

 considerable quantities of grass and yellow varieties, and a small 

 production of wire sponges. 



OPERATING UNITS 



In making the catch the fishermen employed 4 motor vessels, 1 

 sailing vessel, 319 motor and other small boats, 247 sponge hooks, 

 and 52 diving outfits. The vessels had a combined capacity of 77 

 net tons. 



