FISHERY INJ)USTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1929 929 



the total production, that of mullet accounted for 38 per cent; red 

 snapper, 13 per cent; menhaden, 10 per cent; groupers, 6 per cent; and 

 Spanish mackerel, shrimp, and oysters, each 5 per cent. 



OPERATING UNITS BY GEAR 



The catch of fishery products along the west coast of Florida during 

 1928 was taken by 5,796 fishermen, who used 83 motor vessels, 13 

 sailing vessels, 4,816 motor and other boats, and 20 major types of 

 gear. The motor and sailing vessels had a combined capacity of 3,446 

 net tons. The fisheries accounting for the greatest number of persons 

 were the drift gill-net fishery, employing 1,907 fishermen, and the 

 hand-line fishery, employing 1,664 fishermen. 



CA.TCH BY GEAR 



Four types of gear caught 81 per cent of the fish taken in the marine 

 fisheries of the west coast of Florida during 1928. Listed in order of 

 importance they were gill nets, which accounted for 36 per cent of 

 the catch; lines, 24 per cent; haul seines, 12 per cent; and purse seines, 

 9 per cent. 



The catch by gill nets was made up largely of mullet, Spanish 

 mackerel, and squeteagues or "sea trout"; that by lines consisted 

 largely of red snapper, groupers, and kingfish; that by haul seines 

 consisted mainly of mullet, and Spanish mackerel; and that by purse 

 seines was made up entirely of menhaden. 



OPERATING UNITS BY COUNTIES 



Pinellas County was forernost in the number of persons fishing, 

 accounting for 20 per cent of the total. Franklin County followed 

 with 13 per cent. Other counties employing a considerable number of 

 fishermen, listed in order of their importance in this respect, were: 

 Charlotte, Escambia, Monroe, and Bay. Escambia County accounted 

 for 41 per cent of the total number of fishing vessels and Bay County 

 23 per cent. Franklin County led in the number of small motor and 

 other types of fishing boats, accounting for 16 per cent of the total. 

 Charlotte County followed with 13 per cent of the total. 



CATCH BY COUNTIES 



Fishing was prosecuted in the marine waters of 23 counties on the 

 west coast of Florida in 1928. Ranked according to value, the fisher- 

 ies of Pinellas County were most important, accounting for 9 per cent 

 of the total catch and 28 per cent of the total value of the catch. 

 Escambia County was next in value of catch, accounting for 12 per 

 cent of the quantity and 13 per cent of the total value. Other impor- 

 tant counties listed in order with respect to the value of catch were 

 Franklin, Charlotte, Bay, and Monroe. 



