138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The vessel and shore fisheries. — The oyster fishery is of much greater 

 importance thau auy other fishery in the State. Its developmeut has 

 taken place chiefly since 1880, and has been largely due to the estab- 

 lishment of the oyster canneries, which have greatly increased the 

 demand for the products. This fishery now employs a large fleet of 

 vessels and boats, and is a source of considerable revenue to fishermen 

 and shore employees engaged in preparing the products for market. 

 The season for taking oysters begins October 1 and closes April 30. 

 Until quite recently oyster tongs were the only apparatus of capture 

 used on vessels and boats in this fishery, but in 1897 three small steam- 

 boats and one schooner were fitted with dredges. The quantity of 

 oysters taken by vessels with dredges was 51,871 barrels, valued at 

 $15,7L'8, and with tongs, 105,079 barrels, valued at $45,493 — a total 

 catch by vessels of 150,949 barrels, having a value of $61,221. The 

 catch by small boats, on which tongs were the only apparatus employed, 

 aggregated 94,935 barrels, valued at $49,743. 



The oysters are nearly all obtained from the natural reefs in Missis- 

 sippi Sound and in the vicinity of the islands along the coast. Oysters 

 have been planted to some extent for many years at Biloxi, Ocean 

 Springs, and Scranton, and there are still considerable areas of bottom 

 utilized for planting purposes in these localities, but the results have 

 never been fully satisfactory. 



The shrimp fishery, which was comparatively small until within the 

 last few years, now ranks next in importance to the oyster fishery. The 

 entire catch of shrimp — except 10,000 pounds, valued at $150, obtained 

 with cast nets — was taken in seines by vessels and large sailboats, each 

 having a crew of four men, that being the number required to fish a 

 seine. The fishing season is from about March 15 to May 1, and again 

 in the fall from August 1 to November 1. The length of the seines 

 varies more or less, but is usually about 115 fathoms each, with a depth 

 of 6 feet at the ends and 12 feet in the center. The size of the mesh is 

 2J inches stretched. The seines are made of 9 to 12 thread cotton 

 twine, and cost from $100 to $125 each. To facilitate the fishing oper- 

 ations, and for the purpose of securing larger quantities of shrimp, 

 some of the packers employ a number of transporting vessels. These 

 are supplied with ice and sent out on the fishing-grounds to buy the 

 catch of the vessels and boats. The remainder of the shrimp is landed 

 by the fishermen. Many of the fishing craft are owned by the packers, 

 but the usual method in such cases is to have the vessel fished on 

 shares, the owner paying the market price for the shrimp, which is 

 about 1^ cents a pound when landed at the packing houses or sold to 

 the transporting vessels. 



The quantity of shrimp taken with seines was almost equally divided 

 between the vessels and boats, the quantity secured by vessels being 

 951,105 pounds, valued at $14,267, and by boats 942,060 pounds, valued 

 at $14,387. 



