﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  GULF 
  STATES. 
  465 
  

  

  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  LOUISIANA. 
  

  

  The 
  returns 
  for 
  the 
  li.sheries 
  of 
  Louisiana 
  in 
  1902 
  compare 
  favor- 
  

   ably 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  any 
  previous 
  3^ear. 
  In 
  respect 
  to 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  

   emplo3^ed 
  in 
  fishing-, 
  the 
  returns 
  differ 
  little 
  from 
  those 
  for 
  1897 
  or 
  

   for 
  1890, 
  but 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  shoresmen 
  has 
  increased 
  considerably 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  new 
  canneries 
  and 
  oyster-shucking 
  

   houses. 
  For 
  the 
  same 
  reason 
  the 
  investment 
  in 
  the 
  fishery 
  industries 
  

   shows 
  an 
  increase. 
  The 
  total 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  product, 
  1858,31-1, 
  is 
  larger 
  

   than 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  year 
  for 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  complete 
  returns. 
  

   In 
  1897 
  it 
  was 
  $713,587; 
  in 
  1890, 
  $681,284, 
  and 
  in 
  1880, 
  $392,610. 
  This 
  

   increase 
  has 
  been 
  contributed 
  by 
  nearl}^ 
  every 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries. 
  

  

  The 
  03^ster 
  industry, 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  

   this 
  state 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  shows 
  a 
  larger 
  yield 
  than 
  

   in 
  1897, 
  increasing 
  from 
  959,190 
  bushels, 
  worth 
  $432,668, 
  to 
  1,198,413 
  

   bushels, 
  worth 
  $493,227. 
  In 
  1890 
  it 
  was 
  only 
  440,800 
  bushels, 
  worth 
  

   $127,990. 
  The 
  growth 
  of 
  this 
  industry 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  increased 
  demand 
  

   rather 
  than 
  to 
  a 
  greater 
  abundance 
  on 
  the 
  reefs. 
  The 
  cultivation 
  of 
  

   03^sters 
  is 
  attracting 
  much 
  attention 
  in 
  Louisiana, 
  and 
  well-directed 
  

   efforts 
  are 
  now 
  being 
  made 
  to 
  develop 
  profitable 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  grounds 
  

   at 
  present 
  unproductive. 
  

  

  I^he 
  seine 
  fishery 
  shows 
  a 
  vevy 
  large 
  increase 
  since 
  1897, 
  especially 
  

   in 
  the 
  product, 
  increasing 
  from 
  6,554,749 
  pounds, 
  w^orth 
  $173,454, 
  to 
  

   12,565,415 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $251,826. 
  The 
  yield 
  of 
  shrimp 
  contributed 
  

   the 
  bulk 
  of 
  this, 
  the 
  catch 
  being 
  7,589,220 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $130,560, 
  

   whereas 
  in 
  1897 
  it 
  was 
  only 
  4,402,626 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $78,792. 
  The 
  

   catch 
  of 
  buffalo-fish 
  is 
  also 
  much 
  larger, 
  being 
  2,671,860 
  pounds 
  in 
  

   1902 
  as 
  against 
  147,200 
  pounds 
  in 
  1897. 
  The 
  trout 
  yield 
  has 
  more 
  

   than 
  doubled, 
  increasing 
  from 
  498,783 
  pounds 
  in 
  1897 
  to 
  1,057,840 
  

   pounds 
  in 
  1902. 
  Channel 
  bass 
  and 
  sheepsheacl, 
  which 
  come 
  next 
  in 
  

   importance, 
  show 
  little 
  change 
  in 
  either 
  quantity 
  or 
  value. 
  The 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  Spanish 
  mackerel 
  is 
  less. 
  In 
  1897, 
  50,505 
  pounds 
  of 
  this 
  

   species 
  was 
  taken 
  by 
  seines, 
  whereas 
  in 
  1902 
  the 
  catch 
  was 
  only 
  5,500 
  

   pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  catch 
  b}^ 
  lines 
  has 
  been 
  very 
  much 
  less 
  than 
  in 
  

   either 
  the 
  seine 
  fishery 
  or 
  the 
  oyster 
  industr3\ 
  Ifidced 
  there 
  lias 
  been 
  

   a 
  small 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  line 
  catch 
  since 
  1897, 
  from 
  

   3,149,724 
  to 
  3,096,665 
  pounds, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  offset 
  by 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

   value 
  from 
  $63,935 
  to 
  $77,454, 
  due 
  principally 
  to 
  the 
  enhanced 
  price 
  

   per 
  pound 
  of 
  the 
  catfish 
  taken 
  at 
  Morgan 
  City 
  and 
  Melville. 
  

  

  The 
  yield 
  of 
  alligator 
  hides 
  shows 
  a 
  slight 
  decrease 
  in 
  number 
  since 
  

   1897, 
  from 
  41,092, 
  worth 
  $22,096, 
  to 
  38,968, 
  worth 
  $23,132. 
  The 
  

   number 
  reported 
  in 
  1889 
  was 
  74,240, 
  worth 
  $38,185. 
  The 
  average 
  

   length 
  of 
  the 
  hides 
  has 
  greatly 
  decreased, 
  a 
  large 
  percentag'e 
  of 
  those 
  

   taken 
  at 
  present 
  measuring 
  3 
  feet 
  and 
  under, 
  whereas 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  

  

  F. 
  C. 
  1903—30 
  

  

  