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  KEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  The 
  oysters 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  small 
  scattered 
  beds, 
  but 
  their 
  real 
  abun- 
  

   dance 
  is 
  not 
  known. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  located 
  as 
  follows: 
  On 
  the 
  

   east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  nearly 
  opposite 
  Titusville; 
  immediately 
  south 
  of 
  

   Eockledge; 
  one-half 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  Fort 
  Pierce 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  shore 
  and 
  

   at 
  Indian 
  Eiver 
  Inlet; 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  shore 
  off 
  St. 
  Lucie 
  and 
  for 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  that 
  point. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster 
  shells 
  are 
  large, 
  thick, 
  and 
  of 
  irregular 
  shape. 
  They 
  

   usually 
  occur 
  in 
  clusters, 
  and 
  have 
  mussels 
  and 
  barnacles 
  attached. 
  

  

  Crabs 
  are 
  abundant 
  throughout 
  Indian 
  River, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  utilized 
  at 
  

   present. 
  Probably 
  these 
  and 
  other 
  crustaceans, 
  such 
  as 
  shrimp, 
  will 
  

   receive 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  commercial 
  fishermen 
  as 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  

   becomes 
  further 
  developed. 
  

  

  FISHING 
  APPARATUS 
  AND 
  METHODS. 
  

  

  The 
  economic 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Indian 
  Eiver 
  are 
  for 
  mullet, 
  pompano, 
  

   turtles, 
  and 
  oysters. 
  A 
  large 
  variety 
  of 
  other 
  fish 
  are 
  taken, 
  l)ut 
  they 
  

   are 
  obtained 
  incidentally 
  in 
  fishing 
  for 
  mullet 
  and 
  i)ompano. 
  The 
  appa- 
  

   ratus 
  emiDloyed 
  comprises 
  gill 
  nets 
  and 
  seines 
  for 
  fish, 
  nets 
  for 
  turtles, 
  

   and 
  tongs 
  for 
  oysters. 
  Of 
  the 
  gill 
  nets, 
  which 
  are 
  tlie 
  principal 
  means 
  

   of 
  capture, 
  there 
  are 
  two 
  kinds, 
  according 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  adapted 
  for 
  

   mullet 
  or 
  for 
  pompano 
  and 
  other 
  species. 
  

  

  THE 
  MULLET 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  In 
  1895 
  mullet 
  fishing 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  at 
  every 
  fishing 
  center 
  on 
  the 
  

   river 
  except 
  Jensen. 
  The 
  business 
  is 
  most 
  extensive 
  at 
  Titnsville, 
  

   Cocoa, 
  and 
  Fort 
  Pierce. 
  Practically 
  the 
  entire 
  catch 
  of 
  mullet 
  was 
  

   taken 
  with 
  gill 
  nets, 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  thousand 
  pounds 
  additional 
  being 
  inci- 
  

   dentally 
  secured 
  in 
  a 
  haul 
  seine. 
  

  

  Mullet 
  gill 
  nets 
  are 
  250 
  yards 
  long 
  and 
  12 
  to 
  11 
  feet 
  (or 
  40 
  to 
  50 
  

   meshes) 
  deep, 
  with 
  a 
  4-inch-stretch 
  mesh. 
  They 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  linen 
  

   thread, 
  and 
  when 
  new 
  are 
  valued 
  at 
  $50 
  each. 
  The 
  web 
  lasts 
  only 
  two 
  

   or 
  three 
  months, 
  and 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  new 
  twine. 
  The 
  usefulness 
  

   of 
  the 
  nets 
  is 
  prolonged 
  by 
  washing 
  them 
  in 
  lime 
  water 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  

   adhering 
  animal 
  matter, 
  which 
  promotes 
  decay. 
  The 
  nets 
  are 
  rigged 
  

   with 
  cork 
  floats 
  and 
  lead 
  weights. 
  

  

  The 
  mullet 
  fishermen 
  usually 
  go 
  in 
  crews 
  of 
  four, 
  in 
  two 
  boats. 
  When 
  

   the 
  fish 
  are 
  seen 
  swimming 
  or 
  jumping 
  freely 
  at 
  the 
  surface, 
  a 
  net 
  from 
  

   one 
  boat 
  is 
  united 
  to 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  boat, 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  boats 
  are 
  

   rowed 
  in 
  opi^osite 
  directions 
  around 
  the 
  school 
  as 
  the 
  nets 
  are 
  thrown 
  

   out. 
  When 
  the 
  boats 
  come 
  together 
  the 
  nets 
  are 
  again 
  united, 
  with 
  

   the 
  boats 
  in 
  the 
  inclosed 
  space. 
  By 
  beating 
  on 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  oars, 
  

   etc., 
  the 
  mullet, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  fish 
  incidentally 
  encircled, 
  are 
  frightened 
  

   into 
  the 
  meshes 
  of 
  the 
  nets, 
  from 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  then 
  removed, 
  the 
  

   catch 
  being 
  equally 
  divided 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  boats. 
  The 
  nets 
  may 
  be 
  

   cast 
  several 
  times 
  during 
  a 
  night 
  if 
  a 
  sufficient 
  supply 
  is 
  not 
  obtained 
  

   in 
  the 
  first 
  haul. 
  

  

  