CRAB INDUSTRY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY. 7 
The Annual Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries for the fiscal 
year ended June 30, 1916, shows that, in 1915, there were 10,290 
persons engaged in the industry, the invested capital amounted to 
$852,777, and the value of the catch was $981,807. 
The statistics collected during the course of the present investiga- 
tion, and quoted below, present certain details of interest concerning 
the size of the crab industry in 1916. 
Licensed crabbers. Catch. 
Dip net 
States. pct Dealers. 
a os Dredge. Hard. Soft. Total. 
scrape. 
Number.| Number.| Numher.| Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. 
Maryland oct 22.22 -secs-secsseces. 23, G18 |e 62555 ace 221 | 21,334,500 | 6,637,610 | ¢ 27,972,110 
Winpiniae procs: tle .decesesei ese b1,055 83 49 | 16,343,010 | 1,234,140] 17,577,150 
120) 57 11, Se, pee eS Ee 4,673 83 270 | 37,677,510 | 7,871,750 | 45,549, 260 
a These figures represent 894 dip net, 1,661 trot-line, and 1,063 scrape licenses. 
b Dip net, trot-line, and scrape crabbers are not licensed separately in Virginia. 
e The figures for the catch in Maryland are based in part on estimation, as it was found to be impossible 
for the author to visit all the smaller crab dealers, owing to the demands made upon his time by the more 
important features of the investigation. 
Although the figures given in the preceding table for Maryland are 
based in part on estimation, it is felt that they represent the true con- 
ditions fairly accurately. The entire number of crab houses was 
known and the catch handled by the smaller houses, which were not 
visited, was estimated from that handled by houses of about the same 
capacity which were visited. It is safe to say that the catch in 1916 
was smaller than that secured during 1915. 
CRABBING GROUNDS AND LOCATION OF DEALERS. 
The number of crabbers found at the different grounds furnishes 
something of an index of the relative abundance of crabs existing at 
that place and of the general adaptability of the region to their 
capture. For that reason, data showing the number of crabbers and 
crab dealers licensed during 1916-17 in the several tidewater counties 
of Maryland and Virginia are presented in the following table. The 
counties in the respective States are arranged in the order of the num- 
ber of crabbers in each, those having the most being placed first. 
LicENSED CRABBERS AND DEALERS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA, 1916-17. 
MARYLAND. 
Licensed crabbers. 
Counties. oe | EEE 
Dip net. | Trot-line.| Scrape. | Total. 
Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. | Number. 
375 97 97 
SOG CHS Ee ae 2 5 SOS aaa te a ae 829 1,301 
Dorchester 1 423 180 729 21 
Anne Arundel 116 452 53 421 9 
DAs SRS SEE ESE Ee ah a ern dene ses 310 1 312 20 
ijl Dace el a BE ees PERE GR Cay ee by 138 FTSZ Weposerected 270 12 
IGRIP AUTEN otc ek Ot 55. eee ded ble Ree a ae 10R Wesco ts 195 8 
USBI iS olen, eer eS CASS Ee 8 47 iTS ol Aen oe 160 3 
Crlvnrinmeeine: 059.26 b loose. Joes ee es 89 Skiers 235 92 10 
LESPAEP LSNE 2 Fo eR Ra alc erg SEE” yl lite A ali GOs Mae Gai ece sees 
Batimenernipe ses Shc 2 ie eit Oe) eps Pes ere or Shp Pee ela B 33 38 
"Wi0reestene wae StS 88 eh ee bo ee AE ke Danie See 24 2 
Charles! aerate: sek e RE A ee 2 TO: | seneeee 12 1 
WWicomicge perenne So. sk cr evece coe been eh tana Bete Gra Aecco. Gel 33. Sete 
PRovalteeee eee ae see sven coon coabcncekeee 894 1,661 1, 063 3,618 221 
160695°—20——15 
