480 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



THE CATCH OF SHAD. 



The foUowino- supplomcntaiT table .shows the number of shad 

 eau^iht, and the \ ahie, in each county of Pcnnsyh'ania on the Dehi- 

 ware and Sus(|ucl)aniia ri\-crs in I'.HIl: 



Counties. 



No. 



Bucks 



Delaware . 

 Lancaster. 

 Monr 



iroe , 



Northampton . 

 Philadeliihia . 



Pike 



York 



Total 703, 031 



Value. 



124, 328 



THE FISHERIES BY APPARATUS. 



Vessel tishing- is carried on in Philadelphia County only, lines and 

 oyster dredges being the apparatus of capture. The line fishery is 

 prosecuted in the summer months, after the oyster season has closed, 

 by a few of the oyster vessels. Pennsylvania has no waters suitable 

 for the cultivation of oysters and is compelled to carry on the industry 

 in other States, principally in Delaware, where Pennsylvanians have 

 bought or leased large tracts of suitable ground. 



Some of the oldest seine fisheries in the United States are to be 

 found on the Delaware River. A few of the fishing shorfvs at present 

 in use were cleared and operated b}^ the Indians long before the white 

 man settled in the country. The seine fisheries are operated primarily 

 for shad and alewives, though various other species are obtained in 

 smaller quantities. Gill nets are also used extensively, and in 1901 

 the catch, consisting principally of shad, was greater in value than 

 that taken in seines. 



The following tables show the quantity and value of products in the 

 vessel and shore fisheries by each form of apparatus: 



Table showing the yield of the vessel fisheries of Pennsylvania in 1901. 



Species and apparatus. 



Lines: 

 Blue-fish . . . 



Croakers 



Flounder.*;.. 



Scup 



Sea bass 



Squeteague 



Total... 



Dredges: 

 Oysters, market. 

 Oysters, seed 



Philadelphia 

 County. 



Lbs. 



i,;5i5 



6, 231 



22,411 



22, 593 



687,412 



3,600 



743, 592 



282, 352 

 302, 638 



Total. 



(irand total 1, 328, .582 1 84, 157 



584,990 



Value. 



e<;7 

 141 

 709 

 .585 

 32, 791 

 115 



34, 408 



36,517 

 14,232 



49, 749 



