﻿[59] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES 
  275 
  

  

  when 
  using 
  such 
  apparatus 
  the 
  operations 
  are 
  limited 
  to 
  such 
  localities 
  

   as 
  have 
  clean 
  beaches, 
  which 
  are 
  not 
  numerous 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  at 
  least 
  

   so 
  far 
  as 
  our 
  observation 
  extended. 
  

  

  Flat-bottomed 
  seine 
  boats, 
  of 
  the 
  sharpy 
  pattern, 
  are 
  used. 
  One 
  of 
  

   these 
  that 
  I 
  saw 
  on 
  the 
  beach 
  in 
  Key 
  West 
  was 
  20 
  feet 
  long 
  over 
  all, 
  

   feet 
  3 
  inches 
  wide 
  amidships 
  — 
  its 
  broadest 
  part 
  — 
  4 
  feet 
  wide 
  on 
  the 
  

   bottom, 
  and 
  20 
  inches 
  deep. 
  It 
  had 
  one 
  stationary 
  thwart, 
  3 
  feet 
  from 
  

   the 
  stem, 
  in 
  which 
  was 
  a 
  mast-hole, 
  an 
  adjustable 
  thwart 
  amidships, 
  

   and 
  another 
  stationary 
  one 
  about 
  8 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  stern. 
  At 
  the 
  stern 
  

   was 
  a 
  platform, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  seine 
  is 
  stowed, 
  5 
  feet 
  4 
  inches 
  long, 
  fore 
  

   and 
  aft, 
  and 
  placed 
  2i 
  inches 
  below 
  the 
  gunwale. 
  The 
  boat 
  had 
  11 
  sets 
  

   of 
  lo- 
  inch-thick 
  timbers, 
  and 
  a 
  Small 
  skag 
  aft. 
  The 
  methods 
  of 
  seining 
  

   in 
  vogue 
  on 
  the 
  Florida 
  coast 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  fully 
  discussed 
  in 
  another 
  

   place. 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Stearns 
  there 
  are 
  about 
  six 
  seine 
  gangs 
  from 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  averaging 
  thirty 
  men 
  to 
  a 
  gang, 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  mullet 
  

   fishery 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  September 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  or 
  25th 
  of 
  Decem- 
  

   ber. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  and 
  their 
  boats 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  

   Florida 
  in 
  vessels 
  which 
  are 
  also 
  employed 
  to 
  transport 
  the 
  catch 
  to 
  

   Cuba. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  seining 
  stations 
  frequented 
  by 
  these 
  fishermen 
  are 
  

   Charlotte 
  Harbor, 
  Sarasota, 
  and 
  Tampa 
  Bay. 
  

  

  III.— 
  NOTES 
  ON 
  THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  WESTERN 
  FLORIDA. 
  

  

  The 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  particularly 
  those 
  which 
  

   center 
  at 
  Pensacola, 
  are 
  specially 
  interesting 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  marked 
  im- 
  

   provement 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  in 
  their 
  importance 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  

   past. 
  So 
  notable 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  advancement 
  in. 
  the 
  fishery 
  for 
  the 
  red 
  

   snapper 
  (Lutjanus 
  blackfordiijGoodu 
  & 
  Bean), 
  for 
  instance, 
  that 
  data 
  col- 
  

   lected 
  and 
  compiled 
  for 
  the 
  census 
  year 
  of 
  18S0 
  no 
  longer 
  convey 
  any 
  

   adequate 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  business. 
  

  

  For 
  many 
  months 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Western 
  Florida 
  are 
  said 
  

   to 
  swarm 
  with 
  various 
  kinds 
  of 
  edible 
  fish, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  

   delicious 
  and 
  highly 
  prized 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  species. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  

   migratory, 
  and 
  can 
  lie 
  taken 
  only 
  during 
  certain 
  seasons, 
  when 
  they 
  ap- 
  

   pear 
  on 
  the 
  coast, 
  while 
  other 
  species 
  are 
  non-migratory 
  and 
  are 
  caught 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  The 
  present 
  favorable 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  is 
  largely 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   enterprise 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  firms, 
  who 
  have 
  entered 
  into 
  the 
  business 
  with 
  as 
  much 
  

   zeal 
  as 
  seems 
  prudent 
  in 
  a 
  new 
  industry, 
  and 
  who, 
  by 
  obtaining 
  conces- 
  

   sions 
  from 
  the 
  express 
  companies 
  and 
  other 
  transportation 
  agencies, 
  

   have 
  made 
  it 
  possible 
  to 
  send 
  fish 
  to 
  distant 
  markets 
  in 
  good 
  condition 
  

   and 
  at 
  prices 
  that 
  are 
  reasonable. 
  Of 
  course, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  supposed 
  that 
  

   with 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  and 
  the 
  consequent 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  

   amount 
  of 
  material 
  to 
  be 
  transported, 
  still 
  more 
  favorable 
  arrangements 
  

   may 
  bo 
  made 
  which 
  may 
  tend 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  and 
  improvement 
  of 
  

  

  