CLVIII REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Spanish maclcerel— The abundance of this species in recent years 

 presents a marked decrease as compared with 1880. In the latter year 

 1,027,603 pounds, worth $100,104, were taken, the fish ranking third in 

 importance among the food-fishes of the region, while in 1891 less than 

 half the quantity was caught and the fish declined to the ninth place. 

 The catch in Maryland was very small in both 1880 and 1891, but was 

 larger in the latter year than in the former. The decrease may evidently 

 be traced to the capture, chielly in pound nets, of large quantities of the 

 fish early in the season in the lower part of the Chesapeake, before 

 the fish have spawned. 



Squeteague. — Two species of squeteague, locally known as weakfish 

 and trout, rank third in importance among the food-fishes of this 

 section. As compared with 1880, they were taken in much larger 

 quantities in 1891, and the increase was marked in both Maryland and 

 Virginia. The aggregate yield reported in 1880 was 1,541,000 pounds, 

 valued at $31,140; in 1891 the catch amounted to 4,088,484 pounds, 

 worth $150,793. Pound nets and seines are the apparatus chiefly 

 employed in taking these fish. 



Striped hass. — The supply of this fish seems to be holding out remark- 

 ably well in view of the large annual catch in fresh and salt water 

 with seines, gill nets, and pound nets. The output in 1891 was about 

 410,000 pounds more than in 1880, although there was a decline of 

 nearly 30 per cent in Virginia. The total yield in 1891 was 1,732,554 

 pounds, for which the fishermen received $138,723. 



Shad. — Next to the oyster, the shad is the most valuable fishery 

 product of this region; in 1880 it occupied the same rank. The main- 

 tenance of the supply may be clearly traced to large plants of fry in 

 the waters of the region, and the increase in the output has been due 

 to the employment of larger quantities of apparatus, especially pound 

 nets. Following is a comparative statement of the catch of shad in 

 Maryland and Virginia in 1880 and 1891 : 



These figures show an increase of nearly 100 per cent between the 

 years named, the advance being shared about equally by the two 

 States. 



Crabs. — The prominence which crabs have attained in the fisheries 

 of this region is one of the most noteworthy features of the industry. 

 In 1880 only 3,305,807 pounds of crabs, equivalent to about 9,917,000 



1891, when the fishery was more extensive than ever before, 10,490,197 

 pounds, or about 31,488,590 crabs, valued at ii^3G5,755, were sold. In 



