134 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 THE WHOLESALE FISHERY TRADE. 



The city of Mobile is the principal market and point of distribution 

 for the fisher}^ products of the coastal waters of Alabama. The only- 

 other localities where the fishery trade is prosecuted are Coden and 

 Bayou Labatre, located on the shores of Mississippi Sound, in the 

 western part of the State, about 25 miles from Mobile. These places 

 are less favorable as shipping-points on account of being about 9 miles 

 from the railroad. 



The most important branches of shore industry connected with the 

 fisheries are the wholesale trades in fresh fish and oysters. Shrimp 

 and crabs are also handled to a limited extent, and in 1897 an oyster 

 cannery began to operate at Bayou Labatre. 



The trade in fresh fish, which is the more extensive branch, was 

 carried on chielly by four firms at Mobile. The fish handled consist of 

 a large variety of local species, or "beach fish," taken in the seines and 

 trammel nets, and also of red snappers and groupers. These two 

 species have usually been obtained at Pensacola, but during the past 

 year about one-half the quantity utilized were landed by Mobile vessels. 

 The fish are packed with ice in boxes and barrels and are shipped 

 to numerous points in Alabama and adjacent States. The quantity 

 handled was 3,151,900 i)ouuds, valued at $127,065. 



The oyster trade is engaged in to a greater or less extent by eight 

 firms, two of which are also fresh-fish dealers. The greater part of the 

 oysters are opened and sold by count. They are divided into four 

 grades, designated as plants, cullings, selects, and reefers. The first 

 two grades are obtained from the planted grounds and the last two 

 from the natural reefs. The oysters are packed with ice for shipment 

 in buckets, half barrels, and barrels, and small quantities are also put 

 up in hermetically sealed buckets holding from 1 to 4 quarts. The 

 output of the cannery at Bayou Labatre above referred to consisted 

 chieflj^ of canned oysters, shrimp and crabs being prepared in limited 

 quantities. In order to avoid exposing the private interests of the 

 firm, this being the only cannery in the State, the i)roducts have been 

 included as opened oysters, whole shrimp, and live crabs, with the 

 value received for them after being canned. The aggregate quantity, 

 therefore, of oysters utilized for opening and canning purposes was 

 20,420,000 in number, or 104,061 gallons, the value of which as sold 

 was $106,164. There were also 1,850 barrels of oysters sold in the 

 shell, valued at $3,646, the total value of the various branches of the 

 oyster trade being $109,810. The quantity of shrimp handled raw and 

 canned, represented in a raw condition, was 70,600 pounds, valued as 

 sold at $3,198, and the number of crabs was 135,600, valued at $2,220. 



There were 10 establishments in the State engaged in handling 

 fishery products at wholesale, 8 of which were located at Mobile, 1 at 

 Ooden, and 1 at Bayou Labatre. In these 196 persons were employed 



