38<> REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



are .said to remain a slioi't distance oll'shore From the l)eacii and iiwait 

 the return of the females; here the^' are talven ))y uill nets. 



The nets are from 10 to 12 yards in length and of 10-inch sciuarc 

 mesh, each having a wooden decoy turtle attached. Tui'tles taken 

 weigh from 80 to 100 pounds, occasionally more. The a\ erage weight 

 of shell that is saved is 5i pounds, for which the men received $3 a 

 pound during liK>i. The total amount of shells taken in this \icinity 

 is reported as follows: By tishermen of Fajardo, 400 pounds; Culebra 

 Island, 800 pounds; Vieques Island, 80 pounds; a total of 1,380 

 pounds, most of w'hich was disposed of at Fajardo. Turtles are 

 reported not very plentiful, and the tishermen pursue them with little 

 energy; having taken and sold a few pounds, they are content to 

 remain ashore and rest so long as any money is left. 



Fajardo lliver is to a small extent tished for the lirst G or T miles 

 up from its mouth by the citizens of the vicinity. The catch is chiefly 

 a small-sized fish known as "dajao"" {Agonoxfomi(.'< moidtcola) that is 

 taken in small seines. Land crabs are quite plentiful along and in the 

 banks bordering the river. The natives living along the river banks 

 take the cralis from theii" holes in the bank during the dry season by 

 dis'o'inp; them out. During the wet season the crabs are found above 

 ground and are then caught by hand, a torch being used. 



The proportion of the catch l)y tishing apparatus at Fajardo is 

 approximately tive-cighths by seine, one-eighth bv hook and line, and 

 one-fourth by fish pots, but a small amount is also taken b}'^ cast nets. 

 All boats and nets are made by the fishermen. Seines are 125 to 150 

 fathoms long, with a ])ag in the center; mesh one-half inch in the 

 center and 1^ to 2 inches in the wings. Pots are not baited, but 

 anchored in 2 to 12 fathoms in the harbor and around the neighboring 

 islands. The boats are small, rough, and strong, without wells; none 

 large enough to have custom-house register. Those with sails have 

 cat or sloop rig. The apparatus (Muployed, with the species taken, 

 given somewhat in the order of their importance, are as follows: 



Fish pots: Candil; red goat, plentiful; yellow goat, scarce; runner or jurel, 5 to 10 

 pounds (in large schools during Februar}-, March, and April); cabra mora; 

 Nassau grouper; red hind; red grouper; toro; pargo prieto; dog snapper; school- 

 master; red snapj)er; mutton-fish; lane snajiper; yellow-tail; niargate; porgy; 

 pluma; loro Colorado; oldwit'e; blue jjarrot; spaile-lish; mariposa, one-fourth 

 pound; rock beauty, 1 to 2 pounds; l)lue angel, 2 pounds; medico, 1 pound; 

 trunk-tish, 1 to 4 pounds; lile-tish, 3 pounds; chopa aiuarilla, 1 pound. 



Haul srii)es: ]\Iullet, red goat, Spanish mackerel of small size, king-lish, zapatero, 

 scad, runner, bonj'-fish, pompano, Nassau grouper, pargo prieto, dog snapper, 

 schoolmaster, red snapper, mutton-tish, tarjion, lane snapi)er, yello\v-tail, mar- 

 gate, porgy, pluma, chopa amarilla, l)alaju, and houud-lish. 



Hand lineK: Candil; red goat; Spanish mackerel, 2 to 10 pounds; king-fish, 10 to 40 

 pounds; runner; cabra mora; Nassau groui)er; red liind; toro; red grouper, 5 to 

 100 pounds; pargo prieto, 5 to 30 pounds; dog snapper, 5 to 20 pounds; school- 

 master; red snapper; nmtton-fish; lane snapper; margate; yellow-tail; pluma, 



2 to 8 pounds; chopa amarilla, 1 pound; red goat, 5 to 8 pounds; blue parrot, 



3 to 8; trunk-fish, 1 to 4; robalo, 5 to 25 pounds; and balaju, I to J pound. 

 Trolling hook and fines: Bonito; hound-fish; frigate mackerel; tarpon; Spanish 



mackerel, 2 to 10 pounds; king-fish, 10 to 40 pounds; barracuda, 5 to 40 pounds. 

 Cast nets: Zapatero; scad; robalo; pompano; sardines, i to 1 pound; banana-fish, 

 5 to 15 pounds; mullet; big-eyed herring. 



