REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLVII 



figures at hand indicate a general maintenance of the abundance of 

 most of the important products and show a marked advance in the case 

 of some special objects. The value of the industry in Maryland has 

 increased $2,819,900, that in Virginia $516,838, the aggregate increase 

 being $3,273,040, or nearly 50 per cent. Figures for the fisheries of 

 Pennsylvania and Delaware tributary to the Chesapeake are not avail- 

 able for 1880; their importance, however, is relatively so little that they 

 may be discarded from the comparisons. The comparatively unimpor- 

 tant fishery interests of the ocean shores of Maryland and Virginia are 

 included in order to make the statistics for those States complete. 



Among the fishery products whose importance entitles them to special 

 mention and concerning which some notes on the fisheries maybe given 

 are alewives, bluefish, menhaden, Sjianish ma(;kerel, squeteague, striped 

 bass, shad, crabs, and oysters. 



Aletcives or herrings. — Kext to shad these are the most valuable food- 

 fishes taken in this region; the quantity annually consumed is much 

 greater than that of any other food-fishes. They are secured princi- 

 pally with seines and pound nets. In 1891 , 17,418,850 pounds, for which 

 the fishermen received $131,245, were caught in Maryland, andll,004,085 

 pounds, worth $93,819, were obtained in Virginia, the total yield in the 

 two States being 28,422,935 pounds, with a value of $225,064. This is 

 a very large increase over 1880, although it is not anomalous in view of 

 the augmented quantities of apparatus used. In 1880 the output of 

 alewives was 16,129,372 pounds, valued at $217,092, the proportion of 

 the catch in each State being about the same as in 1891. 



Bluefish. — This erratic species is, with one exception, the most impor- 

 tant typically salt-water fish taken in Maryland and Virginia. The 

 largest part of the catch is obtained with pound nets. The aggregate 

 yield in 1891 was 2,319,038 pounds, having a value of $88,765; of this 

 quantity, 516,364 pounds were taken in Maryland and 1,802,674 pounds 

 in Virginia. The increase over 1880 was 762,621 pounds, worth $52,442. 

 The increase was most noticeable in Marj^land, where oidy 10,000 

 pounds were reported in 1880, while 516,364 pounds were caught in 1891. 



Menhaden. — The presence of a large number of oil and fertilizer fac- 

 tories on the Chesapeake occasions an extensive fishery for menhaden 

 carried on with steamers and sailing vessels. The fish are liable to 

 seasonal fluctuations, like the bluefish, but the catch in recent years 

 has been fairly constant. The quantity of fish taken in 1891 was 

 136,932,454 pounds, equivalent to about 228,220,755 fish, nearly all of 

 which were utilized at the oil and guano works; the cost of the fish to 

 the factory operators was $262,830, or at the rate of about $1.15 per 

 thousand fish. In 1880 the quantity of menhaden taken was 92,116,800 

 pounds, valued at $246,760, or at $1.60 per thousand fish. A conspicuous 

 feature of the fishery is the increased catch of menhaden in IVlaryland, 

 owing chiefly to the establishment of factories at several places in the 

 State and the consequent employment of fishing vessels belonging in 

 Maryland. In Virginia the output is approximately the same as in 1880. 



