﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  303 
  

  

  Even 
  the 
  deepest 
  grounds 
  now 
  frequented 
  ;ire 
  showing 
  the 
  effects 
  

   of 
  overflshing-, 
  and 
  would 
  doubtless 
  soon 
  prove 
  nonproductive 
  of 
  mar- 
  

   ketable 
  sponges 
  if 
  the 
  weather 
  and 
  Avater 
  were 
  always 
  favorable 
  to 
  the 
  

   spongers, 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  depending 
  on 
  the 
  prevalence 
  of 
  

   storms 
  or 
  muddy 
  water 
  during 
  some 
  seasons 
  or 
  i)arts 
  of 
  seasons. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  valuable 
  of 
  the 
  Florida 
  s])onges 
  — 
  the 
  sheepswool 
  — 
  has 
  natu- 
  

   rally 
  had 
  its 
  abundance 
  on 
  the 
  bay 
  and 
  key 
  gnmnds 
  most 
  markedly 
  

   alfected 
  by 
  unrestricted 
  tishing, 
  but 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  market- 
  

   able 
  sponges 
  have 
  also 
  been 
  gathered 
  beyond 
  the 
  recuperative 
  powers 
  

   of 
  the 
  grounds. 
  The 
  valuable 
  velvet 
  sponge, 
  which 
  is 
  obtained 
  on 
  the 
  

   Florida 
  reef, 
  has 
  become 
  comparatively 
  scarce. 
  The 
  yellow 
  s])onge, 
  

   which 
  is 
  taken 
  in 
  considerable 
  quantity 
  on 
  the 
  Kock 
  Island 
  grounds, 
  but 
  

   is 
  of 
  best 
  quality 
  on 
  the 
  key 
  grounds, 
  is 
  decreasing 
  like 
  the 
  sheepswool. 
  

   Even 
  the 
  cheap 
  grass 
  and 
  glove 
  sponges, 
  which 
  come 
  principally 
  from 
  

   the 
  keys, 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  abundant 
  as 
  formerly. 
  

  

  Good 
  sheepswool 
  grounds 
  are 
  reported 
  to 
  exist 
  between 
  Key 
  West 
  

   and 
  Cape 
  Romano. 
  The 
  sponges 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  abundant 
  and 
  of 
  very 
  

   good 
  quality. 
  This 
  region 
  is 
  not 
  extensively 
  fished 
  on, 
  however, 
  as 
  the 
  

   water 
  is 
  usually 
  muddy, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  one 
  year 
  in 
  five 
  that 
  the 
  water 
  is 
  

   clear 
  encmgh 
  to 
  permit 
  of 
  fishing. 
  

  

  Condition 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fishery. 
  — 
  The 
  Key 
  West 
  sponge 
  fishery 
  

   during 
  the 
  year 
  1895 
  presented 
  about 
  the 
  average 
  condition 
  in 
  recent 
  

   years. 
  The 
  excessive 
  fishing 
  on 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  grades 
  of 
  sponges 
  

   has 
  necessitated 
  the 
  seeking 
  of 
  the 
  deeper 
  grounds, 
  wlieie 
  the 
  addi- 
  

   tional 
  labor 
  required, 
  supplemented 
  by 
  rather 
  unfavorable 
  weather, 
  

   has 
  resulted 
  in 
  a 
  somewhat 
  short 
  catch. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  winter 
  season 
  of 
  1895-90 
  the 
  prevalence 
  of 
  bad 
  weather 
  

   at 
  sea 
  for 
  several 
  months 
  compelled 
  spongers 
  to 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  inshore 
  

   grounds, 
  where 
  sponges 
  are 
  chiefly 
  small. 
  The 
  result 
  was 
  that 
  the 
  

   cargoes 
  contained 
  a 
  large 
  proportion 
  of 
  sponges 
  of 
  a 
  proscribed 
  size 
  — 
  

   less 
  than 
  4 
  inches 
  across 
  the 
  top 
  — 
  and 
  this 
  led 
  the 
  State 
  authorities 
  to 
  

   warn 
  the 
  fishermen 
  against 
  further 
  violation 
  of 
  the 
  law. 
  The 
  short 
  crop, 
  

   combined 
  with 
  the 
  active 
  demand 
  for 
  sponges 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  purchasing 
  

   agents 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  firms, 
  raised 
  jirices 
  to 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  figure, 
  notwith- 
  

   standing 
  the 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  sponges. 
  

  

  The 
  hurricane 
  of 
  September 
  29, 
  1890, 
  did 
  cousiderabhi 
  injury 
  to 
  the 
  

   sponge 
  fishery. 
  A 
  number 
  of 
  sponge 
  vessels 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  bay 
  

   fishery 
  were 
  lost, 
  with 
  their 
  crews; 
  some 
  were 
  driven 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  miles 
  

   into 
  the 
  woods, 
  and 
  others 
  were 
  sunk 
  and 
  otlierwise 
  danuiged 
  while 
  at 
  

   anchor. 
  A 
  Key 
  West 
  sponge-dealer, 
  writing 
  under 
  date 
  of 
  October 
  

   10, 
  1890, 
  to 
  the 
  Oil, 
  Paint, 
  and 
  Drug 
  Reporter, 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  made 
  the 
  

   following 
  references 
  to 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  storm 
  and 
  the 
  outlook 
  for 
  the 
  

   fishery 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  of 
  1896-97: 
  

  

  During 
  tlit' 
  past 
  fortnigbt 
  events 
  that 
  are 
  bound 
  to 
  leave 
  their 
  mark 
  in 
  the 
  history 
  

   of 
  the 
  Florida 
  sponge 
  fishery 
  have 
  happened. 
  Vou 
  have 
  learned 
  of 
  the 
  hurrieane 
  

   that 
  si 
  ruck 
  the 
  west 
  eoast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  during 
  wliieh 
  the 
  damages 
  to 
  the 
  sponge 
  tleet 
  

   have 
  been 
  very 
  great. 
  Several 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  have 
  been 
  thrown 
  into 
  the 
  woods 
  in 
  tlie 
  

  

  