STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF THE GULF STATES. 



GENERAL NOTES AND STATISTICS. 



The fisheries of the Gulf States, as considered in the present report, 

 are the commercial fisheries of the coastal waters, no inquiries being 

 made respecting fishing carried on irregularly above tidal waters. 



The last canvass of the fisheries of this region was made in 1890.* 

 While there has been an increase in the number of persons engaged, 

 there has been a decrease in the amount of capital invested and in 

 the value of the product. The fishery conditions in 1897 were, however, 

 not quite normal, owing to unsettled conditions in Cuba, quarantine 

 restrictions, and the storms of previous years, which destroyed much 

 of the outfit of the fishermen. The region has very important fishery 

 resources throughout its vast extent of coast line, but they are far from 

 being well developed. 



The fisheries of the Gulf States in 1897 gave employment to 13,9G7 

 persons, 11,180 being fishermen and 2,787 shoresmen. The largest num- 

 ber is credited to Florida, where 5,011 were engaged. Louisiana ranks 

 next with 4,403, followed by Mississippi with 2,565, and Texas with 

 1,199. In Alabama the number of persons employed amounted to 789. 

 There has been an increase of 2,215 in the number of persons engaged 

 in the Gulf fisheries since 1890, at which time the total number was 

 11,752. About one fourth of the fishing population is composed of 

 unnaturalized persons. 



The money invested in the industry was $2,584,061; nearly one-half 

 of this sum, $1,149,262, is credited to western Florida; $518,301 to 

 Mississippi, $513,813 to Louisiana, $237,496 to Texas, and $165,189 to 

 Alabama. There has been a decrease of $394,231 in the amount of 

 capital invested in the fisheries in this region since 1890. 



The total uumber of vessels employed was 425, valued with their 

 outfits at $717,076. 6,025 boats were used, valued at $436,041. 



* The following publications, emanating chiefly from the U. S. Fish Commission, 

 should be consulted in this connection : 



Fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico. Silas Stearns. The Fisheries and Fishery Indus- 

 tries of the United States, section ii. Geographical Review of the Fisheries for 1880. 



Eeport on the Fisheries of the Gulf States. J. W. Collins and H. M. Smith. Bul- 

 letin U. S. Fish Commission, 1891. 



Report on the Coast Fisheries of Texas. Charles H. Stevenson. Report U. S. 

 Fish Commission, 1889 to 1891. 



The Fish and Fisheries of the Coastal Waters of Florida. Transmitted to the 

 United States Senate by the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, January 28, 1897. 

 Senate Document 100, Fifty-fourth Congress, second session. See also pp. 263-342, 

 Report of U. S. Fish Commissioner for 1896. 



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