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  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  fishermen 
  often 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  bays, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  even 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  

   shores, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  prepare 
  their 
  fish. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  gives 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  mullet 
  fishery 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  

   coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  in 
  various 
  years 
  from 
  1879 
  to 
  1902: 
  

  

  The 
  oyster 
  fishery. 
  — 
  But 
  little 
  attention 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  plant- 
  

   ing 
  of 
  oysters 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  hostilit}^ 
  displayed 
  by 
  a 
  

   certain 
  element 
  among 
  the 
  oystermen. 
  In 
  1902, 
  20,000 
  bushels 
  were 
  

   planted 
  in 
  East 
  Bay, 
  near 
  Apalaohicola, 
  making 
  the 
  first 
  planted 
  bed 
  

   of 
  large 
  size 
  in 
  this 
  section. 
  A 
  few 
  small 
  areas 
  were 
  planted 
  in 
  Big 
  

   Bayou, 
  an 
  arm 
  of 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  but 
  the 
  drought 
  of 
  1902 
  killed 
  most 
  of 
  

   them. 
  

  

  Two 
  canneries 
  were 
  operated 
  in 
  Apalachicola 
  in 
  1902, 
  one 
  of 
  which, 
  

   at 
  Gulf 
  City, 
  was 
  closed 
  during 
  that 
  year, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  illness 
  and 
  

   subsequent 
  death 
  of 
  the 
  owner, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  reopened 
  in 
  1903. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  summary 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  oysters 
  for 
  certain 
  years: 
  

  

  294, 
  871 
  

   371,081 
  

   170, 
  518 
  

   179, 
  715 
  

   543, 
  637 
  

  

  875, 
  189 
  

   93,692 
  

   46,308 
  

   50,268 
  

  

  117, 
  399 
  

  

  Since 
  1895 
  the 
  catch 
  has 
  shown 
  a 
  steady 
  increase, 
  and 
  in 
  1902 
  it 
  was 
  

   larger 
  than 
  in 
  any 
  previous 
  year 
  for 
  which 
  statistics 
  are 
  available. 
  

  

  The 
  red-snapper 
  fishery. 
  — 
  While 
  this 
  fishery 
  still 
  centers 
  at 
  Fensa- 
  

   cola, 
  it 
  is 
  becoming 
  quite 
  important 
  at 
  Tampa, 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  prosecuted 
  

   incidentally 
  at 
  St. 
  Petersburg, 
  Apalachicola, 
  and 
  Key 
  West. 
  The 
  

   catch 
  in 
  Santa 
  Rosa 
  County 
  is 
  virtually 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Pensacola 
  indii.s- 
  

   try, 
  as 
  the 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  sail 
  from 
  there, 
  and 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  sold 
  to 
  

   the 
  Pensacola 
  dealers. 
  

  

  