﻿THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  INDIAN 
  RIVER, 
  FLORIDA. 
  251 
  

  

  shipments 
  reached 
  nearly 
  a 
  million 
  pounds. 
  The 
  itrincipal 
  points 
  to 
  

   which 
  the 
  products 
  were 
  cousioiied 
  are 
  Jacksonville, 
  Palatka, 
  Sanford, 
  

   and 
  St. 
  Augustine, 
  in 
  Florida; 
  Mason, 
  Atlanta, 
  Altona, 
  Savannah, 
  and 
  

   Marietta, 
  in 
  Georgia 
  ; 
  Eufaula, 
  Ala. 
  ; 
  Charlotte, 
  IS". 
  C. 
  ; 
  Louisville, 
  Ky.; 
  

   Norfolk, 
  Ya. 
  ; 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  and 
  New 
  York 
  City. 
  Three-fourths 
  

   of 
  the 
  shipments 
  from 
  this 
  place 
  in 
  1895 
  were 
  mullet, 
  which 
  were 
  sent 
  

   chiefly 
  to 
  cities 
  in 
  Georgia. 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  is 
  the 
  principal 
  headquarters 
  

   of 
  the 
  alligator 
  hunters 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  Florida. 
  A 
  very 
  laro-e 
  

   trade 
  in 
  alligator 
  hides 
  was 
  formerly 
  carried 
  on 
  there, 
  but 
  the 
  business 
  

   has 
  greatly 
  declined. 
  

  

  Fishing 
  at 
  Eden 
  dates 
  from 
  December, 
  1894, 
  the 
  railroad 
  having 
  

   reached 
  the 
  place 
  in 
  February 
  of 
  that 
  year. 
  One 
  lirm 
  was 
  here 
  in 
  1891, 
  

   and 
  during 
  1895 
  there 
  were 
  two 
  firms, 
  who 
  shipped 
  210,300 
  ])ounds 
  of 
  

   fresh 
  fish. 
  A 
  few 
  turtles 
  are 
  taken 
  here. 
  The 
  fishing-grounds 
  extend 
  

   north 
  to 
  Fort 
  Pierce, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  13 
  miles, 
  and 
  south 
  to 
  Sewall 
  Point, 
  

   a 
  distance 
  of 
  10 
  miles. 
  

  

  Jensen 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  important 
  as 
  a 
  fishing 
  center 
  ; 
  between 
  Novem- 
  

   ber, 
  1894, 
  and 
  March, 
  1895, 
  one 
  firm 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  business, 
  since 
  

   which 
  time 
  the 
  fisheries 
  have 
  been 
  unrepresented. 
  The 
  aggregate 
  

   shipments 
  were 
  28,230 
  pounds 
  in 
  1894 
  and 
  40,485 
  pounds 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  Stuart 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  southern 
  fishing 
  station 
  on 
  the 
  Indian 
  River. 
  One 
  

   firm 
  established 
  headquarters 
  here 
  in 
  January, 
  1895, 
  and 
  shipped 
  89,058 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  fresh 
  fish 
  during 
  that 
  year. 
  From 
  its 
  favorable 
  position 
  

   with 
  reference 
  to 
  Santa 
  Lucia 
  Inlet, 
  Stuart 
  may 
  be 
  exi)ected 
  to 
  show 
  

   considerable 
  development 
  of 
  its 
  fisheries 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  time. 
  The 
  

   Stuart 
  fishermen 
  set 
  their 
  nets 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Jensen 
  (4 
  miles 
  distant) 
  

   and 
  south 
  to 
  the 
  inlet 
  (3 
  miles 
  away) 
  ; 
  they 
  also 
  go 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  G 
  miles 
  up 
  

   each 
  arm 
  of 
  the 
  Santa 
  Lucie 
  River. 
  

  

  FISHERY 
  RESOURCES 
  OF 
  THE 
  REGION. 
  

  

  The 
  commercial 
  water 
  products 
  of 
  Indian 
  River 
  comprise 
  fishes, 
  oys- 
  

   ters, 
  and 
  turtles. 
  Considering 
  the 
  nearness 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  to 
  the 
  West 
  

   Indies, 
  with 
  their 
  remarkably 
  rich 
  fauna, 
  the 
  fishing 
  resources 
  are 
  not 
  

   especially 
  varied, 
  although 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  aquatic 
  animals 
  now 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  unmarketable 
  have 
  economic 
  value 
  and 
  will 
  doubtless 
  be 
  utilized 
  as 
  

   the 
  fisheries 
  become 
  further 
  developed. 
  

  

  Only 
  about 
  10 
  species 
  of 
  food-fish 
  are 
  taken 
  in 
  noteworthy 
  (piantities 
  

   and 
  comprise 
  the 
  regular 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  Indian 
  River 
  fishermen 
  ; 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  

   others 
  are 
  obtained 
  in 
  relatively 
  small 
  numbers. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  other 
  

   fish, 
  with 
  recognized 
  food 
  value 
  in 
  other 
  localities, 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  river, 
  

   which 
  are 
  either 
  not 
  caught 
  at 
  all, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  non 
  adaptability 
  of 
  the 
  

   apparatus 
  used, 
  or, 
  if 
  taken, 
  are 
  not 
  considered 
  of 
  suflicieiit 
  im])ortance 
  

   to 
  justify 
  shii)ment 
  to 
  distant 
  markets. 
  

  

  More 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  fish 
  taken 
  for 
  market 
  consists 
  of 
  mullet, 
  which 
  is 
  

   more 
  abundant 
  and 
  caught 
  in 
  larger 
  quantities 
  in 
  Florida 
  tlnin 
  in 
  any 
  

   other 
  State. 
  Its 
  maxinuun 
  weight 
  is 
  5 
  i)ounds. 
  although 
  the 
  average 
  

   of 
  the 
  fish 
  caught 
  is 
  only 
  2 
  ])ounds. 
  The 
  mullet 
  is 
  i>lentiful 
  through- 
  

  

  