﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  327 
  

  

  very 
  small 
  boats 
  can 
  reach 
  the 
  wharves. 
  The 
  fishery, 
  however, 
  can 
  not 
  

   be 
  successfully 
  carried 
  on 
  except 
  by 
  boats 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  remain 
  on 
  

   the 
  grounds 
  in 
  moderate 
  storms. 
  The 
  fisliery, 
  which 
  was 
  inaugurated 
  

   in 
  1895, 
  proved 
  a 
  failure, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  draft 
  of 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  

   employed, 
  only 
  5,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  snappers 
  and 
  2,500 
  pounds 
  of 
  groupers 
  

   being 
  landed. 
  The 
  fishery 
  was 
  not 
  resumed 
  in 
  1890. 
  

  

  Line 
  fishing. 
  — 
  Besides 
  the 
  small 
  snapper 
  fishery 
  alluded 
  to, 
  line 
  

   fishing 
  for 
  both 
  fresh-water 
  and 
  salt-water 
  fishes 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  from 
  this 
  

   county, 
  and 
  is 
  a 
  branch 
  of 
  considerable 
  importance. 
  The 
  prominent 
  

   salt-water 
  species 
  are 
  sheepshead, 
  trout, 
  and 
  redfish. 
  The 
  fresh-water 
  

   fishes 
  are 
  black 
  bass 
  and 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  family 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   Apalachicola 
  and 
  New 
  rivers. 
  

  

  In 
  1895 
  the 
  line 
  fishery 
  for 
  salt-water 
  species 
  was 
  followed 
  by 
  18 
  persons 
  

   and 
  for 
  fresh-water 
  s])ecies 
  by 
  21 
  persons. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  boats 
  used 
  

   was 
  39, 
  valued, 
  with 
  their 
  equipment, 
  at 
  $854. 
  Tlie 
  catch, 
  amounting 
  

   to 
  54,600 
  ])ounds 
  of 
  saltwater 
  fish 
  valued 
  at 
  $1,010, 
  and 
  43,400 
  ])ouuds 
  

   of 
  fresh-water 
  fish 
  worth 
  $1,897, 
  was 
  divided 
  as 
  follows 
  among 
  the 
  

   different 
  species: 
  Eedfish, 
  21,000 
  pounds, 
  $305; 
  sheepshead, 
  12,100 
  

   pounds, 
  $217; 
  trout, 
  18,000 
  pounds, 
  $340; 
  Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  3,500 
  

   pounds, 
  $88; 
  black 
  bass, 
  12,300 
  pounds, 
  $4G5; 
  bream, 
  17,300 
  pounds, 
  

   $790; 
  i)erch, 
  13,800 
  pounds, 
  $630. 
  

  

  Alligator 
  and 
  otter 
  hunting. 
  — 
  A 
  small 
  business 
  in 
  hunting 
  alligators 
  

   and 
  otters 
  for 
  their 
  skins 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  from 
  Apalachicola 
  and 
  Carra- 
  

   belle. 
  At 
  the 
  former 
  place 
  21 
  persons 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  latter 
  17 
  persons 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  this 
  branch 
  in 
  1895. 
  Thirty-two 
  boats, 
  valued 
  at 
  $640, 
  were 
  

   used. 
  The 
  apparatus, 
  consisting 
  of 
  guns 
  for 
  alligators 
  and 
  traps 
  for 
  

   otters, 
  was 
  valued 
  at 
  $506. 
  The 
  hunting 
  is 
  done 
  in 
  the 
  fresh 
  waters 
  

   adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  coast. 
  Neither 
  of 
  the 
  animals 
  sought 
  is 
  as 
  abundant 
  as 
  

   formerly, 
  and 
  the 
  year's 
  work 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  only 
  550 
  alliga- 
  

   tors, 
  whose 
  hides 
  were 
  worth 
  $285, 
  and 
  186 
  otters, 
  whose 
  pelts 
  had 
  a 
  

   value 
  of 
  $713. 
  

  

  Turtle 
  fishing. 
  — 
  At 
  Carrabelle 
  an 
  unimportant 
  turtle 
  fishery 
  is 
  prose- 
  

   cuted. 
  In 
  1895 
  3 
  men 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  vessel, 
  equipped 
  with 
  3 
  turtle 
  nets, 
  

   sought 
  turtles 
  during 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  frequenting 
  grounds 
  on 
  the 
  

   coast 
  of 
  Franklin 
  County. 
  Only 
  1 
  10 
  green 
  turtles 
  were 
  obtained. 
  These 
  

   had 
  an 
  aggregate 
  weight 
  of 
  3,850 
  pounds, 
  and 
  yielded 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   $270, 
  or 
  7 
  cents 
  a 
  i^ound. 
  

  

  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  PENSACOLA. 
  

  

  General 
  character 
  and 
  importance. 
  — 
  Next 
  to 
  Key 
  West 
  Pensacola 
  is 
  

   the 
  most 
  prominent 
  of 
  the 
  Florida 
  fishing 
  centers. 
  Besides 
  a 
  vessel 
  

   line 
  fishery 
  that 
  is 
  more 
  extensive 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  Pensa- 
  

   cola 
  supports 
  important 
  shore 
  fisheries 
  with 
  lines, 
  seines, 
  etc., 
  and 
  also 
  

   an 
  oyster 
  fishery. 
  The 
  city 
  is 
  favorably 
  located 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  

   important 
  fishing 
  banks, 
  and 
  has 
  amide 
  railroad 
  facilities 
  for 
  shipping 
  

   the 
  products 
  to 
  eastern, 
  northern, 
  and 
  western 
  points. 
  

  

  