FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1920 947 

 MISSISSIPPI 



The fisheries of Misissippi in 1928 employed 13 per cent of the total 

 number of fishermen and accounted for 16 per cent of the total catch 

 of the Gulf section. The fisheries and industries related to the 

 fisheries employed 3,231 persons, which is 14 per cent less than the 

 number in 1927. Of the total, 2,203 were fishermen, 4 were employed 

 on transporting vessels, 233 in the wholesale trade, and 791 in the 

 prepared-products and by-products industries. 



The total catch amounted to 30,700,669 pounds, valued at $1 ,060,066. 

 This is a decrease of 11 per cent in the catch and 16 per cent in the 

 value of the catch, compared with the catch and its value for 1927. 

 Of the total value of the catch, that for oysters accounted for 47 per 

 cent; shrimp, 36 per cent; crabs, 5 per cent; and squeteagues or "sea 

 trout," 4 per cent. Of the total production, that of oysters accounted 

 for 50 per cent; shrimp, 38 per cent; and crabs, 5 per cent. 



OPERATING UNITS BY GEAR 



The catch of fishery products in Mississippi during 1928 was taken 

 by 2,203 fishermen, who used 97 motor vessels, 44 sailing vessels, 

 1,079 motor and other boats, and 10 major types of gear. The motor 

 and sailing vessels had a combined capacity of 1,852 net tons. The 

 fisheries accounting for the greatest number of persons were the otter- 

 trawl fishery, employing 1,122 fishermen, and the oyster-dredge 

 fishery, employing 803 fishermen. 



CATCH BY GEAR 



Four types of gear caught 93 per cent of the fish taken in the 

 marine fisheries of Mississippi during 1928. Listed in order of their 

 importance they were : Dredges, which accounted for 41 per cent of the 

 catch; otter trawls, 37 per cent; tongs, 9 per cent; and lines, 6 per cent. 



The catch by both dredges and tongs consisted entirely of oysters, 

 that by otter trawls principally shrimp, and that by lines principally 

 hard crabs. 



OPERATING UNITS BY COUNTIES 



Only three counties in Mississippi are represented in the marine 

 fisheries. Harrison was by far the most important of these, account- 

 ing for 87 per cent of the total number of fishermen, 99 per cent of the 

 vessels, and 81 per cent of the small fishing boats. Jackson County 

 ranked second with 9 per cent of the fishermen, 1 per cent of the 

 vessels, and 15 per cent of the small fishing boats. 



CATCH BY COUNTIES 



Of the three counties represented in the marine fisheries of Missis- 

 sippi, Harrison County accounted for 87 per cent of the total catch 

 and 85 per cent of the value of the catch. Jackson County ranked 

 second with 11 per cent of the catch and 12 per cent of the value, and 

 Hancock followed with 2 per cent of the catch and 3 per cent of the 

 value. 



