FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 71 
The investment in the fisheries of $4,222,043 includes 118 fishing 
vessels, valued at $1,249,725, with a net tonnage of 3,437 tons and 
outfits valued at $422,790; 37 transporting vessels, valued at $34,300, 
with a net tonnage of 289 tons and outfits valued at $18,225; 3,084 
power, sail, row, and other boats valued at $307,773; fishing appa- 
ratus employed on vessels to the value of $160,432; fishing apparatus 
employed in shore or boat fisheries to the value of $522,104; shore 
and accessory property valued at $1,347,644; and cash capital 
amounting to $159,050. 
The products amounted to 210,501,750 pounds, valued at $2,978,- 
708. The species of chief importance arranged in order of their 
value were: Menhaden, 179,910,599 pounds, valued at $1,306,489; 
alewives, 14,483,820 pounds, valued at $401,219, of which 5,743,876 
pounds, valued at $162,595, were salted; shad, 1,657,036 pounds, 
valued at $376,696; squeteague or ‘‘sea trout,’’ 3,361,326 pounds, 
valued at $209,493; mullet, 1,128,029 pounds, valued at $91,075, of 
which 315,350 pounds, valued at $38,341, were salted; oysters, 
1,518,734 pounds, or 216,962 bushels, valued at $70,280; black bass, 
551,125 pounds, valued at $63,137; spot, 1,236,095 pounds, valued 
at $56,299, of which 42,825 pounds, valued at $3,768, were salted; 
hard clams, 197,576 pounds, or 24,697 bushels, valued at $46,598; 
and striped bass, 286,528 pounds, valued at $46,030. 
Menhaden represents 85.46 per cent of the total quantity and 43.86 
per cent of the total value of the products of the State in 1918. The 
roducts of the fisheries exclusive of menhaden for various years 
ollow: 39,388,742 pounds, valued at $1,011,498, in 1890; 52,924,257 
pounds, valued at $1,296,317, in 1897; 48,722,734 pounds, valued at 
$1,708,241, in 1902; 44,010,000 pounds, valued at $1,706,000, in 1908, 
and 30,591,151 pounds, valued at $1,672,219, in 1918. From the 
foregoing it will Re evident that the trend of production of food fishes 
is downward and should be a matter of some concern to the State. 
As indicative of the trend of certain of the important fisheries of the 
State, the following table gives the comparative production figures 
for various years: 
Propucts OF CERTAIN FISHERIES OF NoRTH CAROLINA, VARIOUS YEARS, 1890 To 1918. 
Species. 1890 1897 1902 1908 1918 
Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. 
I Mawavess -ees, SEO Uy d he 16, 481, 063 | 15, 790, 437 | 11, 172,975 | 10,928,000 | 14, 483, 820 
TETAUIGi ISN haya ap, 8 See MR nian a 1, 345, 194} 1, 696, 175 977, 142 | 1, 256, 000 322, 744 
oe ss ee in pea a A a , 585, 3, 409, 585 | 6,705, 492 | 5, 070, 1, 128, 029 
Sindee ary ae a Tee cm ee 5, 768, 413 | 8,963,488 | 6,566,724 | 3,942,000] 1, 657, 036 
Squeteagues or ‘‘sea trout”’.-............-. 1, 885, 677 | 3,090, 254 | 3,781,456 | 4,635, 000 3, 361, 326 
PHDMICUIDASS Sake watlclde oe  wioledaibineinee ae ares 568, 341 845, 123 1, 175, 400 510, 000 286, 528 
Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels Bushels 
"CUDTT Sg 2 SS ee een ee 28, 269 117, 226 146, 897 91, 000 24, 697 
pies sets Mick onc enn 5 | 807, 260 858, 818 | 1,022, 813 | 812, 500 216, 962 
An examination of this table reveals a very marked decline in the 
catch of bluefish, mullet, shad, striped bass, clams, and oysters, 
while the fisheries for alewives and squeteagues have fluctuated 
comparatively little. In 1918 the catch of bluefish amounted to 
only 25.69 per cent of that in 1908; of mullet, to only 22.25 per cent 
of the 1908 catch; of shad, to only 42.04 per cent of the catch in 
1908, and 25.23 per cent of the catch in 1902; of striped bass, to 
