THE FISHERIES AND FISH TRADE OF PORTO RICO. 373 



1902 the total direct imports amounted to 8,377,080 pounds, valued 

 at $330,074 in United States money, on which the duty was $56,008. 



The imports from the United States in 1902 being admitted free 

 accounts in part for the decrease in duties. The large decrease in 

 direct imports in 1902 is due partly to the fact that the receipts were 

 entered at the San Juan custom-house and forwarded from that port 

 by local steamers, which was not the case in 1897. 



The following' quotations of values and notes on the market are of 

 interest: 



Feb. 10, 1903. — Total receipts of the past two weeks, 285 tierces, 79 drums, and 42 

 boxes of cod; 80 tierces of haddock, 8 of pollock, and 2 of hake. Last sales, cod 5j 

 cents, haddock 4^ cents, and split herring |6 per barrel. 



Feb. 24. — Receipts past two weeks, 619 tierces and 100 boxes of cod, 90 tierces of 

 haddock, 253 barrels of herring. Sales of cod b\ cents, haddock 4^ cents, and split 

 herring $5.50 per barrel. The demand just at present for cod is anything but satisfac- 

 tory, and the explanation we offer is the low prices which our planters are receiving 

 for our Porto Rico coffee, owing to the unsatisfactory situation of this article in the 

 world's markets, and for this reason merchants and planters in the interior are buy- 

 ing only what they require for immediate consumption; therefore sales of round lots, 

 such as were formerly effected, are nowadays quite out of the question. 



THE DOMESTIC FISHERIES OF PORTO RICO. 



Although there are many species of excellent food-fishes native to 

 Porto Rican waters, none of them are canned, dried, smoked, or 

 pickled. The local demand is good, yet poorly supplied with fresh 

 fish at high prices. Whether fish can be well cured in the trying- 

 climate of the Tropics remains to be demon.s-trated. If some of the 

 fine food -fishes now found are in ample abundance after supplying 

 the local demand, they could be sent to northern markets quicker and 

 cheaper than is now possible with fresh fish from the Pacific coast, 

 from which shipments are made every year in increased quantities. 

 The profitable canning of the spiny lobster, which is quite plentiful 

 on the south side and eastern end of Porto Rico, is also a possibility. 



Oysters of good flavor and .small size are cpiite plentiful in the 

 lagoons and arms of the sea at several places on the south side of the 

 island; also in the waters of San Juan Plarbor. At the latter place 

 the sea wall is covered with small 03^sters ^ to li inches in length. 

 On the south side of the island they are usually attached to the roots 

 and lower branches of the mangrove trees at the shore. The largest 

 of the 03\sters compare with 2-year-old seed of Virginia waters, but 

 are ver}^ poor and quite salty. No oysters are planted, nor is anj" 

 attention given to their improvement or cultivation. Occasionally a 

 few are gathered and peddled at 10 cents a dozen through the streets 

 of the cities. 



The few fishermen at most of the numerous ports are satisfied with 

 small incomes derived from a small amount of labor. Many of the 

 men combine a little fishing with work on the plantations, lightering 



