﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  331 
  

  

  103,571 
  pouuds 
  and 
  to 
  a 
  mau 
  20,423 
  pounds, 
  while 
  in 
  1895 
  the 
  averages 
  

   were 
  109,231 
  pounds 
  and 
  10,385 
  pounds, 
  respectively. 
  The 
  apparent 
  

   inconsistency 
  of 
  a 
  diminished 
  catch 
  per 
  man 
  associated 
  with 
  an 
  

   increased 
  catch 
  per 
  vessel 
  is 
  explained 
  by 
  an 
  average 
  increase 
  of 
  about 
  

   two 
  men 
  per 
  vessel 
  between 
  1880 
  and 
  1895. 
  

  

  Comparative 
  summary 
  of 
  the 
  Pensacola 
  red-snapper 
  catch. 
  

  

  These 
  bai 
  e 
  figures 
  do 
  not 
  suggest 
  that 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  any 
  noteworthy 
  

   diminution 
  in 
  the 
  snapper 
  sui)ply, 
  but 
  when 
  considered 
  in 
  connection 
  

   with 
  an 
  increased 
  carrying 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  vessels 
  and 
  a 
  more 
  assiduous 
  

   prosecution 
  of 
  the 
  fishery, 
  the 
  more 
  recent 
  years 
  show 
  a 
  decided 
  decline. 
  

   Had 
  the 
  conditions 
  been 
  the 
  same, 
  and 
  had 
  the 
  fishermen 
  in 
  1890 
  and 
  

   1895 
  made 
  the 
  same 
  average 
  catch 
  as 
  did 
  those 
  in 
  1880, 
  tlie 
  aggregate 
  

   output 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  in 
  1890 
  and 
  1895 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  5,252,000 
  pounds 
  

   and 
  6,700,000 
  pounds, 
  respectively. 
  In 
  September, 
  1890, 
  the 
  Pensa- 
  

   cola 
  dealers 
  issued 
  the 
  following 
  joint 
  circular 
  to 
  the 
  trade, 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  snapper 
  sui)ply 
  was 
  referred 
  to 
  : 
  

  

  On 
  and 
  after 
  October 
  1, 
  1890, 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  all 
  sizes 
  of 
  red 
  8nai)pers 
  will 
  be 
  advanced 
  

   one-balf 
  cent 
  per 
  pound 
  from 
  the 
  prices 
  now 
  in 
  use. 
  The 
  growing 
  scarcity 
  of 
  red 
  

   snappers 
  and 
  tlie 
  increased 
  cost 
  of 
  catching 
  these 
  fish 
  have 
  compelled 
  ns 
  to 
  make 
  

   this 
  advance. 
  For 
  a 
  year 
  past 
  our 
  smacks 
  and 
  crews 
  have 
  been 
  doing 
  a 
  starvation 
  

   business. 
  Where 
  formerly 
  they 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  laud 
  a 
  fare 
  of 
  fish 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  times 
  a 
  

   month, 
  they 
  can 
  now 
  only 
  make 
  two 
  trips 
  a 
  month. 
  They 
  are 
  now 
  obliged 
  to 
  go 
  

   from 
  200 
  to 
  400 
  miles 
  from 
  Pensacola 
  to 
  find 
  fish 
  in 
  jjayiug 
  (juautities. 
  

  

  The 
  seine 
  and 
  fjill-net 
  Jisheries. 
  — 
  Next 
  to 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  red 
  snappers, 
  

   the 
  seine 
  fishery 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  

   of 
  Pensacola. 
  In 
  it 
  both 
  vessels 
  and 
  boats 
  are 
  employed, 
  although 
  by 
  

   far 
  the 
  more 
  extensive 
  fishing 
  is 
  done 
  from 
  small 
  boats, 
  only 
  two 
  vessels 
  

   being 
  used 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  The 
  seines 
  are 
  hauled 
  for 
  what 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  beach 
  fisli,"' 
  consisting 
  

   chiefly 
  of 
  bliiefish, 
  mullet, 
  and 
  Spanish 
  mackerel, 
  although 
  a 
  large 
  

   variety 
  of 
  fishes 
  is 
  taken. 
  The 
  seines, 
  which 
  are 
  about 
  500 
  feet 
  long 
  

   and 
  worth 
  from 
  $100 
  to 
  $150 
  each, 
  have 
  a 
  2ii-inch 
  mesh 
  and 
  are 
  oi)erated 
  

   by 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  men. 
  

  

  In 
  1895 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  ])ersons 
  engaged 
  in 
  this 
  fishery 
  in 
  Pensacola, 
  

   Warrenton, 
  and 
  the 
  adjacent 
  bays 
  was 
  147, 
  of 
  whom 
  17 
  were 
  in 
  the 
  

   vessel 
  fishery. 
  The 
  luunber 
  of 
  seines 
  in 
  use 
  was 
  29, 
  with 
  an 
  aggregate 
  

   length 
  of 
  18,300 
  feet 
  and 
  a 
  value 
  of 
  $3,075. 
  The 
  tonnage 
  of 
  the 
  2 
  

   vessels 
  aggregated 
  42.74. 
  These 
  were 
  worth, 
  with 
  their 
  outfits, 
  $3,400. 
  

   The 
  boats 
  employed 
  numbered 
  20 
  and 
  were 
  worth 
  $1,040. 
  

  

  