﻿474 
  EEPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONEE 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

   FISHERIES 
  OF 
  TEXAS. 
  

  

  Considering 
  the 
  great 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  line 
  of 
  Texas 
  and 
  the 
  area 
  

   of 
  the 
  coastal 
  waters, 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  this 
  state 
  are 
  of 
  relativelj^ 
  small 
  

   extent. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  principally 
  to 
  the 
  remoteness 
  of 
  markets 
  and 
  the 
  

   generally 
  undeveloped 
  industrial 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  sections. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  three 
  principal 
  fisheries 
  in 
  the 
  state, 
  namely, 
  the 
  bay- 
  

   seine 
  fisher}^, 
  yielding 
  $120,667 
  worth 
  of 
  products 
  in 
  1902; 
  the 
  rod 
  

   snapper 
  fishery, 
  yielding 
  $106,400, 
  and 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery, 
  valued 
  at 
  

   $100,359. 
  The 
  remaining 
  117,388 
  worth 
  of 
  products 
  consisted 
  of 
  

   flounders 
  taken 
  by 
  spears, 
  ^5,726; 
  fish, 
  taken 
  by 
  lines, 
  14,862; 
  green 
  

   turtle, 
  taken 
  b,y 
  nets, 
  $2,618; 
  fish 
  and 
  shrimp, 
  taken 
  by 
  cast 
  nets, 
  

   $2,160, 
  and 
  hard 
  crabs, 
  $2,022. 
  

  

  Compared 
  with 
  1897, 
  tlie 
  seine 
  fishery 
  shows 
  a 
  slight 
  decrease. 
  The 
  

   number 
  of 
  seines 
  used 
  in 
  that 
  year 
  was 
  171, 
  with 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  $18,279, 
  

   whereas 
  in 
  1902 
  it 
  was 
  166, 
  with 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  $16,735. 
  The 
  decrease 
  in 
  

   yield 
  was 
  slightly 
  greater, 
  namely, 
  from 
  3,561,035 
  pounds, 
  selling 
  for 
  

   $153,070, 
  to 
  3,049,860 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $129,667. 
  The 
  largest 
  decrease 
  

   has 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  channel 
  bass, 
  from 
  1,129,676 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  

   $51,212 
  in 
  1897, 
  to 
  881,150 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $38,808 
  in 
  1902. 
  Other 
  

   decreases 
  were 
  in 
  sheepshead, 
  from 
  464,024 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $21,514, 
  to 
  

   217,330 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $9,739; 
  croakers, 
  from 
  134,700 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  

   $5,947, 
  to 
  57,050 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $2,368; 
  mullet, 
  from 
  39,250 
  pounds, 
  

   worth 
  $1,445, 
  to 
  11,600 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $276. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  there 
  

   was 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  seine 
  catch 
  of 
  trout 
  from 
  994,520 
  pounds 
  in 
  

   1897, 
  to 
  1,075,800 
  in 
  1902; 
  drum, 
  from 
  50,400 
  to 
  157,400 
  pounds; 
  pike, 
  

   from 
  22,730 
  to 
  57,300 
  pounds; 
  and 
  Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  from 
  40,710 
  

   pounds, 
  worth 
  $1,939 
  in 
  1897, 
  to 
  55,330 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $4,069 
  in 
  1902. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  decrease 
  occurred 
  in 
  the 
  yield 
  of 
  oysters 
  during 
  the 
  inter- 
  

   val 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  3 
  ears 
  under 
  comparison, 
  but 
  this 
  was 
  more 
  than 
  

   offset 
  by 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  value. 
  In 
  1897 
  the 
  yield 
  was 
  355,910 
  

   bushels, 
  worth 
  $94,663, 
  whereas 
  in 
  1902 
  it 
  was 
  343,113 
  bushels, 
  for 
  

   which 
  the 
  fishermen 
  received 
  $100,359. 
  The 
  development 
  of 
  oyster 
  

   culture 
  in 
  this 
  state, 
  which 
  seemed 
  so 
  promising 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago, 
  is 
  

   receiving 
  little 
  attention 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  red-snapper 
  fisher}^ 
  presents 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  feature 
  in 
  

   connection 
  with 
  the 
  recent 
  development 
  in 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Texas. 
  In 
  

   1890 
  the 
  jdeld 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  only 
  4,800 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $240; 
  in 
  

   1897 
  it 
  was 
  464,791 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $17,453, 
  and 
  in 
  1902 
  it 
  was 
  fur 
  

   ther 
  increased 
  to 
  2,067,987 
  pounds, 
  worth 
  $103,398. 
  At 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  

   1902 
  there 
  were 
  15 
  vessels 
  engaged 
  in 
  this 
  fishery, 
  with 
  good 
  prospect 
  

   of 
  a 
  considerable 
  extension. 
  The 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  are 
  

   of 
  the 
  best 
  type 
  of 
  schooner 
  rig, 
  measuring 
  about 
  40 
  tons, 
  and 
  carry- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  crew 
  of 
  10 
  men 
  each. 
  The 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  are 
  located 
  several 
  

   hundred 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Galveston. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  red 
  

  

  