26 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



town of Humacao is 5 miles inland. Large quantities of dry and fresh 

 fish are consumed in the district, the former being received from Ponce 

 and San Juan. Customs records show no direct imports offish during 

 the past five years. 



The present collector of customs (formerly captain of the port) reports 

 25 fishermen, with the following apparatus : 



6 sailboats, valued at $150 $900 



3 rowboats, valued at $45 135 



132 fish pots, valued at $3 396 



12 cast nets, valued at $6 72 



Total 1,503 



During April, May, and June trolling lines and hooks are much used, 

 but at other seasons trolling is limited to such times as going to and 

 from the set pots. The principal part of the catch is from pots which 

 are occasionally baited with fragments of crayfish or spiny lobsters, 

 but as a rule pots are not baited. Crayfish are plentiful and at times 

 the pots will be filled with them. When more are taken than can be 

 disposed of the surplus is returned to the sea. When the pots are 

 baited with broken-up crayfish, the catch is confined to fish, as no 

 crayfish will then enter them. A small number of crayfish are taken 

 at night by hand, among rocks in shallow water; a torch is used which 

 attracts the crayfish and enables the fisherman to see and impale it 

 with a forked stick. 



The fish are sold fresh, undressed, supplying the local demand only. 

 The fishermen receive 4 to 6 cents a pound. Crayfish are sold by the 

 piece, the size governing the price, which averages 3 cents a pound. 

 The largest weigh from 6 to 8 pounds. Occasionally fishermen dry a 

 small amount of fish for their own use. 



The only nets used at Santiago are a few cast nets for taking sar- 

 dines and other small fish. 



HUCARES. 



This place is located near the center of the western end of Porto 

 Eico, and is 4 miles north of Punta Santiago, i^ear the shore the 

 water is shallow, necessitating the lighterage of cargoes. The port of 

 Hucares is said to have a population of from 800 to 1,000, most of 

 the men working on the plantations, while a few are fishermen. The 

 village has a few fairly good houses, but the majority of them consist 

 of a light frame of poles thatched with the leaves of the sugar cane 

 and banana. 



A number of small stores dispose of considerable dry fish, which 

 comes from the importers of San Juan. 



Fish are reported plentiful in the harbor, where they are taken by 

 10 fishermen, who use 4 boats, 60 pots, and trolling lines and hooks. 

 Eight men with 1 boat occasionally use a haul seine 300 feet long, with 

 a bag in the center. The fish catch is chiefly by pots. 



