﻿298 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  No 
  I'lsli 
  iiTe 
  sliipped 
  from 
  Biscayne 
  Bay, 
  those 
  caught 
  beiiiy; 
  sold 
  to 
  

   meet 
  the 
  local 
  demand. 
  All 
  tishinj;- 
  is 
  done 
  with 
  hand 
  lines 
  at 
  the 
  

   inlets 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  ocean 
  reefs. 
  Groupers 
  and 
  ji^runts 
  constitute 
  fully 
  

   three-fourths 
  of 
  the 
  catch, 
  besides 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  taken 
  jjorgies, 
  

   yellow-tails, 
  redfish, 
  kingfish, 
  Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  and 
  numerous 
  other 
  

   varieties. 
  In 
  1894 
  only 
  four 
  men 
  made 
  a 
  business 
  of 
  taking 
  fish 
  for 
  

   sale, 
  and 
  these 
  caught 
  only 
  11,000 
  pounds, 
  valued 
  at. 
  $400. 
  

  

  In 
  1895 
  some 
  impetus 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  local 
  fishing 
  by 
  the 
  opening 
  

   of 
  a 
  canal 
  route 
  between 
  Lake 
  Worth 
  and 
  Biscayne 
  Bay. 
  Bight 
  per- 
  

   sons 
  were 
  engaged 
  during 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  in 
  taking 
  fish 
  with 
  hand 
  

   lines 
  and 
  trap 
  nets, 
  and 
  twenty-two 
  others 
  Avere 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  turtle 
  

   fishery. 
  The 
  investment 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  amounted 
  to 
  $4,798, 
  of 
  

   which 
  $3,970 
  represented 
  2 
  vessels 
  and 
  11 
  boats 
  and 
  $828 
  the 
  api)aratus 
  

   and 
  accessories. 
  The 
  two 
  vessels 
  referred 
  to 
  were 
  owned 
  on 
  Indian 
  

   Kiver 
  and 
  Lake 
  Worth, 
  and 
  engaged 
  in 
  turtle 
  fishing 
  oft" 
  Biscayne 
  

   Bay 
  in 
  1895. 
  The 
  aggregate 
  yield 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  was 
  80,282 
  pounds, 
  

   valued 
  at 
  $2,603. 
  The 
  turtle 
  fishery 
  yielded 
  425 
  green 
  and 
  hawksbill 
  

   turtles 
  and 
  430 
  pounds 
  of 
  tortoise 
  shell, 
  the 
  whole 
  having 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  

   $3,07G. 
  The 
  following 
  table 
  shows 
  the 
  quantity 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  each 
  of 
  

   the 
  princii>al 
  species: 
  

  

  For 
  a 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  Biscayne 
  Bay 
  and 
  an 
  extended 
  account 
  

   of 
  its 
  fishery 
  resources, 
  fisheries, 
  etc., 
  reference 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  an 
  article 
  in 
  

   the 
  report 
  of 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries 
  for 
  1895. 
  

  

  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  KEY 
  WEST. 
  

  

  Imjjortance 
  and 
  principal 
  features. 
  — 
  The 
  commercial 
  fisheries 
  center- 
  

   ing 
  at 
  Key 
  West 
  are 
  not 
  only 
  much 
  more 
  imijortaut 
  and 
  extensive 
  than 
  

   those 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  locality 
  in 
  Florida, 
  but 
  are 
  also 
  more 
  valuable 
  than 
  

   the 
  salt-water 
  fisheries 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  State. 
  This 
  preeminence, 
  

   which 
  has 
  been 
  enjoyed 
  for 
  many* 
  years, 
  is 
  chiefly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  rendez- 
  

   vousing 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  sponge 
  fleet 
  at 
  this 
  place 
  and 
  the 
  discharging 
  

   of 
  the 
  cargoes 
  there, 
  although 
  the 
  principal 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  taken 
  

   far 
  from 
  Key 
  West. 
  The 
  local 
  fisheries 
  are, 
  however, 
  important, 
  untl 
  

  

  