﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  GULF 
  STATES. 
  

  

  441 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  summary 
  shows 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  red 
  snappers 
  caught 
  on 
  

   the 
  gulf 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida 
  in 
  certain 
  years: 
  

  

  These 
  figures 
  indicate 
  that 
  the 
  fishery 
  is 
  steadily 
  increasing 
  in 
  

   importance. 
  The 
  catch 
  in 
  1902 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  even 
  larger 
  had 
  it 
  

   not 
  been 
  for 
  a 
  strike 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Fishermen's 
  Union 
  at 
  Peusa- 
  

   cola, 
  which 
  lasted 
  from 
  November 
  27, 
  1901, 
  to 
  January 
  18, 
  1902. 
  

   The 
  first 
  vessel 
  to 
  land 
  fish 
  came 
  in 
  on 
  February 
  3. 
  One 
  Pensacola 
  

   vessel 
  — 
  the 
  schooner 
  Contest 
  — 
  was 
  lost 
  in 
  February 
  on 
  her 
  fii-st 
  trip 
  of 
  

   the 
  season. 
  

  

  Groupers 
  are 
  also 
  taken 
  in 
  this 
  fisheiy, 
  being 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  banks 
  

   in 
  compan}^ 
  with 
  the 
  red 
  snappers, 
  but 
  as 
  the 
  fishermen 
  receive 
  only 
  

   1 
  cent 
  a 
  pound 
  for 
  them, 
  not 
  many 
  are 
  brought 
  in. 
  

  

  The 
  sponge 
  fishery. 
  — 
  This 
  industry, 
  which 
  centers 
  largely 
  at 
  Key 
  

   West 
  and 
  Tarpon 
  Springs, 
  is 
  prosecuted 
  exclusively 
  in 
  Florida, 
  and 
  

   is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  in 
  the 
  state. 
  It 
  has 
  fluctuated 
  consider- 
  

   ably 
  in 
  recent 
  years, 
  however, 
  and, 
  as 
  a 
  whole, 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  on 
  the 
  

   decline. 
  The 
  season 
  of 
  1902 
  was 
  an 
  especially 
  poor 
  one, 
  although 
  a 
  

   larger 
  fleet 
  of 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  was 
  engaged 
  than 
  in 
  many 
  previous 
  

   years. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  catch 
  in 
  this 
  fishery 
  for 
  certain 
  years: 
  

  

  Lbs. 
  i 
  Value. 
  Lbs. 
  I 
  Value. 
  ' 
  Lbs. 
  Value. 
  Lbs. 
  Value. 
  ! 
  Lbs. 
  Value 
  

  

  Sheepswool 
  

   Yellow 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  

  

  Grass 
  

  

  other 
  

  

  157,476 
  [8240,599 
  153,700 
  [8332, 
  

  

  32,362 
  

   128, 
  622 
  

   13, 
  086 
  

  

  Total. 
  

  

  13, 
  082 
  

   29, 
  188 
  

   3,171 
  

  

  55,800 
  \ 
  16,205 
  ! 
  74,466 
  

   76,900 
  i 
  14,319 
  |143,112 
  

   18,000 
  5,000 
  19,236 
  

  

  8483,263 
  202,673 
  

   44, 
  045 
  62, 
  512 
  

   33,263 
  108,748 
  

   7,114 
  I 
  21,627 
  

  

  8422,561 
  133,518 
  

   39,290 
  I 
  56,787 
  

   24,210 
  [140,682 
  

   6,679 
  15,902 
  

  

  8297,727 
  

   31,113 
  

   29, 
  765 
  

   5, 
  817 
  

  

  286,040 
  304,400 
  I 
  367,914 
  '418,125 
  

  

  567,685 
  ;395,560 
  

  

  492,740 
  '346, 
  

  

  364,422 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  is 
  interesting 
  as 
  showing 
  the 
  average 
  price 
  per 
  

   pound 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  spongers 
  for 
  each 
  variety 
  of 
  sponge 
  for 
  a 
  series 
  

   of 
  years, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  general 
  average 
  price 
  for 
  all 
  grades. 
  The 
  year 
  

   1900 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  banner 
  year 
  for 
  most 
  varieties, 
  and 
  the 
  

  

  