THE COMMERCIAL SPONGES AND THE SPONGE FISHERIES. 469 
CaTcH ON Bay GROUNDS, By APPARATUS. 
1905. 1906. 1907. 1908. 
| 
Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. Pounds. | Value. | Pounds. | Value. 
Sheepswool: Diving- -.----------- 9,250 | $47,506 | 318, 728 |$610, 986 | 184, 432 177,354 |$324,055 
Hooking 360,816 93,63 162,597 70,780 84,565 98, 645 
225 77,060 26,841 | 185,05 147,496 33,414 
6,073 
SON BO LORE ne a oe 9,994 | 47,761 | 400,430 | 638,766 | 398,834 | 392,399 | 389,208 | 367,399 
12 Cora) ot ae a 223,092 | 377,409 | 117,914 | 170,077 | 177,663 | 127,375 | 155,245 | 107,799 
Grand total—= a eae e cea 233,086 | 425,170 | 518,344 | 808, 843 | 576,497 | 519,774 | 544,453 | 475,198 
Nore.—All sponges from the Bay prior to 1905 and all from the Keys to date were taken by hookers. 
FOREIGN SPONGE TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES. 
The foreign sponge trade of the United States has attained considerable 
proportions, amounting to $735,571 during the year ended June 30, 1907. 
The growth in the imports of sponges and the sources from which they 
are derived are shown in the following table: 
IMPORTS OF FOREIGN SPONGES INTO THE UNITED STATES. 
North fs 5 | P 
Year. PAeeripae Europe. Asia. Oceania. | Africa. Total. 
| | 
$118, 229 
197,431 
333.774 
416,718 
350,008 
536, 303 
$454,070 542,712 
453,137 564,098 
374,418 488, 426 
The decrease in 1907 was in the imports from Cuba and the Bahamas and 
was due largely to the heavy crop of domestic sponges in the preceding year. 
The imports of Mediterranean sponges, with which our own product does not so 
sharply compete, exhibited an increase. 
During the past five years the exports of domestic sponges have been as 
follows: 
Exports OF SPONGES FROM THE UNITED STATES. 
Year. Europe. Pog Pest Asia, Oceania. Africa. Total. 
Pounds. Value. 
MOOS ea aw ae $42,545 $6,553 $652 $311 ey Sp) eS ee 95,159 $50, 306 
as) Cn ee a Se 23,472 9,700 653 1,728 nT 00 Ye el ee ea 64,214 36, 646 
ROB oe eos a 11,645 4,773 550 1,386 26 Bio 31,700 18,390 
WGlSe eo benches ae 27,481 14,321 544 1,359 Bele |e 50,953 43,926 
MOVE ne ee eo ee 99, 686 II, 207 506 2,413 532 (SPSSSSSS55 136,301 114,354 
