64 FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
amounted to 87,584,072 pounds, valued at $2,808,213, and in 1918 
to 74,856,324 pounds, valued at $3,743,499, a decrease of 14.53 per 
cent in quantity and an increase of 33.30 per cent in value. Com- 
pared with 1902 the increase in North Carolina amounted to 142,- 
917,016 pounds, or 211.46 per cent, in quantity and $1,239,047, or 
71.22 per cent, in value; in Georgia, to 26,051,343 pounds, or 234.64 
per cent, in quantity and $56,962, or 15.86 per cent, in value; and 
_ on the east coast of Florida, to 61,627,223 pounds, or 314.67 per cent, 
in quantity and $1,268,307, or 265.41 per cent, in value. In South 
Carolina there was a decrease in the quantity amounting to 4,427,531 
pounds, or 54.16 per cent, and in value of $55,333, or 21.03 per cent. 
As an index of the trend of the fisheries of the South Atlantic 
States it is of interest to compare for various years from 1890 to 1918 
. the catch of certain staple species with the take of forms which have 
* increased greatly in importance in recent years, species of which in 
the past there has been a comparative abundance but a lack of demand. 
For this purpose alewives, mullet, shad, squeteagues, and oysters 
have been selected as representative of staple varieties and cero 
(including kingfish), red and black drum, menhaden, Spanish mack- 
erel, and shrimp, representing species for which the demand has 
greatly increased in recent years, resulting in much more intensive — 
fishing operations. Lacking accurate data, for comparative purposes, 
as to the intensiveness with which these fisheries were prosecuted, it is 
difficult to draw definite conclusions regarding the present status of 
these fisheries, but the figures are nevertheless of interest. A study 
of the appended table reveals comparatively small fluctuations in the 
catch of alewives over the entire period. The fishery for mullet has 
more than doubled since 1890 but shows a reduction in the catch in 
1918 as compared with 1902 and 1908. That the supply of shad is 
being depleted is indicated by the striking reduction in the catch in 
1918 in comparison with that for other years. In comparison with 
1908, the decrease amounts to 5,683,356 pounds, or 66.30 per cent. 
The fluctuation in the catch of squeteagues is not so marked, and in 
the absence of accurate information as to the intensiveness of fishing 
operations for the various years, the status of this fishery is largely 
conjectural. As on other parts of the coast, there has been a striking 
Aealits in the take of oysters. 
With greater development of the fisheries and inability to supply 
the demand for staple varieties, the growth of other fisheries has 
been quite striking as indicated by the statistics for cero and kingfish, 
red and black drum, Spanish mackerel, and shrimp. On the Atlantic 
seaboard, the demand for red drum or ‘‘ channel bass,”’ as it is often 
called, has never been as great as on the Gulf and difficulty has been 
experienced in marketing it, particularly in the more northern part 
of its range. The increased catch of menhaden for conversion into 
oil and scrap is also of interest. 
Propucts, tv Pounps, oF CERTAIN FISHERIES OF THE SoutH ATLANTIC STATES, 
Various YEARS, 1890 ro 1918. 
Year. serves Mullet. | Shad. paneneeen Oysters. 
NSDQ 496. eeelacby sys. eal lb) 3 16, 543,783 | 5,573,623 | 9,385,354 | 2,368,067 | -8, 344, 805 
Ey ME ot ig BIOL NE nag 15, 856, 350 | 5,934,942} 11,268,343 | 3,741,274 | 11, 285, 268 
IODA VEEN, GAIT" OS Ty ei aT 11, 601, 172 | 14,310,808 | 9,849,338 | 4,848,269 | 22,719, 074 
LOOSE (ANC Malas ce" cetacean 12, 180,000 | 14, 501,800 | 8,572,000 | 8,615,000 | 30, 549, 000 
GTS OY Re Aca Ney, OLR AS oma 15, 185, 585 | 117 757,318 | 2,888,644 | 5,105,249 | 5, 871, 376 
