﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIVISION 
  OF 
  STATISTICS 
  AND 
  METHODS 
  OF 
  

  

  THE 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  By 
  Hugh 
  M. 
  Smith. 
  

  

  This 
  division 
  was 
  under 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  writer 
  until 
  April 
  7, 
  1897, 
  

   when 
  Mr. 
  Cliarles 
  H. 
  Townsend, 
  formerly 
  naturalist 
  on 
  the 
  steamer 
  

   Albatross, 
  was 
  appointed 
  in 
  charge. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  division 
  comprised 
  a 
  canvass 
  of 
  the 
  shad 
  

   and 
  alewife 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  Atlantic 
  coast, 
  a 
  reconnaissance 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States, 
  inquiries 
  relative 
  to 
  the 
  fish- 
  

   eries 
  of 
  the 
  coastal 
  waters 
  of 
  Florida, 
  and 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  fishery 
  

   of 
  Penobscot 
  Bay 
  and 
  Eiver. 
  Besides 
  the 
  general 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  

   fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States, 
  some 
  special 
  inquiries 
  were 
  made 
  rela- 
  

   tive 
  to 
  the 
  sardine 
  industry, 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  introduced 
  shad 
  and 
  

   striped 
  bass, 
  and 
  the 
  transplanted 
  eastern 
  lobster. 
  

  

  SHAD 
  AND 
  ALEWIFE 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  extensive 
  canvass 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  fisheries 
  for 
  shad 
  and 
  alewives, 
  

   begun 
  in 
  May, 
  1890, 
  and 
  noticed 
  iu 
  the 
  last 
  report 
  of 
  the 
  division, 
  was 
  

   completed 
  during 
  the 
  present 
  year, 
  and 
  the 
  Commission 
  was 
  put 
  in 
  

   possession 
  of 
  very 
  complete 
  and 
  instructive 
  matter 
  regarding 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  industry 
  in 
  each 
  stream. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  magnitude 
  of 
  the 
  

   fish-cultural 
  operations 
  with 
  the 
  shad, 
  the 
  inquiries 
  had 
  a 
  special 
  value, 
  

   because 
  of 
  the 
  opportunity 
  afforded 
  for 
  making 
  comparisons 
  Math 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  years. 
  The 
  canvass 
  was, 
  in 
  some 
  respects, 
  the 
  most 
  thorough 
  

   examination 
  of 
  the 
  shad 
  fishery 
  ever 
  undertaken. 
  It 
  included 
  statistics 
  

   of 
  persons 
  employed, 
  api^aratus 
  and 
  boats 
  used, 
  and 
  products 
  taken 
  

   in 
  each 
  stream 
  or 
  water, 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  with 
  each 
  kind 
  of 
  

   appliance, 
  the 
  number, 
  weight, 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  shad 
  of 
  each 
  sex, 
  and 
  

   other 
  special 
  data. 
  

  

  The 
  canvass 
  disclosed 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  in 
  1896 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  persons 
  

  

  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  shad 
  and 
  alewife 
  fisheries 
  was 
  nearly 
  27,000, 
  including 
  

  

  only 
  those 
  who 
  used 
  apparatus 
  set 
  especially 
  for 
  these 
  fish 
  or 
  in 
  which 
  

  

  they 
  constituted 
  an 
  important 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  catch. 
  Fully 
  3,500 
  other 
  

  

  persons 
  took 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  shad 
  and 
  alewives 
  incidentally 
  in 
  gill 
  nets, 
  

  

  pound 
  nets, 
  and 
  seines 
  operated 
  primarily 
  for 
  other 
  fish. 
  Of 
  the 
  1*1,800 
  

  

  persons 
  who 
  may 
  be 
  classed 
  as 
  fishermen, 
  as 
  distinguished 
  from 
  those 
  

  

  who 
  simply 
  transported 
  the 
  catch 
  or 
  handled 
  it 
  on 
  shore, 
  over 
  6,100 
  

  

  persons 
  were 
  employed 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  more 
  than 
  1,100 
  in 
  Maryland, 
  

  

  nearly 
  4,000 
  in 
  Virginia, 
  about 
  2,900 
  iu 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  1,050 
  in 
  South 
  

  

  Carolina, 
  1,200 
  in 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  1,100 
  in 
  Pennsylvania. 
  

  

  cxxv 
  

  

  