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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  the 
  rates 
  on 
  fish, 
  but 
  desisted 
  on 
  the 
  represeutatious 
  of 
  the 
  Tampa 
  

   dealers, 
  who 
  showed 
  that 
  there 
  had 
  been 
  a 
  hivge 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  ship- 
  

   ment 
  by 
  rail 
  during- 
  the 
  past 
  few 
  years 
  and 
  that 
  Tampa 
  would 
  be 
  

   unable 
  to 
  compete 
  with 
  other 
  places 
  in 
  supplying 
  certain 
  sections 
  if 
  the 
  

   shijjpiug 
  prices 
  were 
  raised. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  statements 
  jirepared 
  by 
  the 
  dealers 
  for 
  the 
  information 
  of 
  

   the 
  railroad 
  companies 
  was 
  the 
  followiug 
  table, 
  showing 
  the 
  combined 
  

   fresh-fish 
  rail 
  shipuients 
  by 
  the 
  three 
  wholesale 
  dealers 
  during 
  the 
  

   month 
  of 
  October, 
  from 
  1890 
  to 
  1895, 
  inclusive 
  : 
  

  

  Year. 
  

  

  Barrels. 
  

  

  Eqiiivaleut 
  

   pounds. 
  

  

  October, 
  1890. 
  

   1891. 
  

   1892. 
  

   1893. 
  

   1894- 
  

   1895. 
  

  

  875 
  

  

  940 
  

  

  1,125 
  

  

  1,270 
  

  

  1,583 
  

  

  175, 
  000 
  

   188, 
  000 
  

   225, 
  000 
  

   254, 
  000 
  

   HI 
  6, 
  600 
  

  

  1,712 
  342,400 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  most 
  accurate 
  data 
  obtainable, 
  it 
  appears 
  that 
  in 
  1895 
  over 
  

   4,000,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  fresh 
  fish 
  alone 
  were 
  shipped 
  by 
  rail 
  from 
  Tampa, 
  

   to 
  which 
  should 
  be 
  added 
  the 
  very 
  large 
  trade 
  in 
  salt 
  mullet, 
  oysters, 
  

   and 
  other 
  fishery 
  products. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  brought 
  into 
  Tampa 
  are 
  from 
  fishing-camps 
  located 
  

   between 
  Clearwater 
  (Hillsboro 
  County) 
  and 
  Naples 
  (Lee 
  County). 
  A 
  

   large 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  vessels 
  are 
  employed 
  in 
  taking 
  the 
  catch 
  from 
  

   the 
  camps 
  to 
  the 
  city. 
  The 
  camps 
  are 
  most 
  numerous 
  around 
  the 
  

   entrance 
  to 
  Charlotte 
  Harbor 
  and 
  Caloosahatchee 
  Eiver 
  ; 
  Grove 
  City, 
  St. 
  

   James 
  City, 
  and 
  Punta 
  Rassa 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  centers. 
  Hunter 
  

   Point, 
  near 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  Tampa 
  Bay, 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  camj) 
  region. 
  

   The 
  camps 
  consist 
  of 
  collections 
  of 
  cheap 
  wooden 
  buildings, 
  sometimes 
  

   constructed 
  over 
  the 
  water 
  on 
  piling, 
  but 
  usually 
  on 
  the 
  mainland 
  or 
  keys 
  

   on 
  leased 
  ground, 
  convenient 
  to 
  the 
  flshiug-grounds. 
  

  

  The 
  mullet 
  fishery 
  gives 
  to 
  Tampa 
  its 
  chief 
  importance 
  as 
  a 
  fishing 
  

   center, 
  and 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  extensive 
  than 
  all 
  other 
  fisheries 
  combined; 
  

   but 
  numerous 
  other 
  fish 
  are 
  taken, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  sponge, 
  turtle, 
  oyster, 
  

   and 
  alligator 
  fisheries 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  The 
  mullet 
  fishery. 
  — 
  In 
  the 
  extensive 
  region 
  under 
  consideration, 
  this 
  

   fishery 
  in 
  1895 
  gave 
  employment 
  to 
  G99 
  fishermen, 
  who 
  used 
  35G 
  gill 
  

   nets 
  (with 
  an 
  aggregate 
  length 
  of 
  225,520 
  feet) 
  and 
  102 
  seines 
  and 
  sto^) 
  

   nets 
  (with 
  a 
  combined 
  length 
  of 
  75,1:50 
  feet). 
  The 
  boats 
  and 
  vessels 
  used 
  

   in 
  catching 
  and 
  transporting 
  the 
  fish 
  numbered 
  526. 
  The 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  

   apparatus 
  was 
  $11,907, 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  was 
  $98,554. 
  The 
  

   transporting 
  fleet 
  numbered 
  36 
  vessels 
  and 
  carried 
  87 
  men. 
  The 
  results 
  

   of 
  the 
  fishery 
  were 
  as 
  follows: 
  8,183,539 
  pounds 
  of 
  fresh 
  mullet, 
  worth 
  

   $74,133; 
  2,182,556 
  pounds 
  of 
  salt 
  mullet, 
  worth 
  $36,505; 
  and 
  138,400 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  salt 
  mullet 
  roe, 
  worth 
  $9,895. 
  

  

  The 
  stop 
  net 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  apparatus 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  

   mullet. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  a 
  seine 
  from 
  300 
  to 
  500 
  feet 
  long, 
  with 
  a 
  3-inch 
  

   mesh. 
  During 
  high 
  water 
  it 
  is 
  secured 
  to 
  stakes 
  across 
  the 
  entrance 
  

  

  