148 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Compared with 1890 there has been a very large decrease in the seine 

 fishery of Louisiana, the number of seines used decreasing from 168 

 worth 114,000 in 1890 to 136 worth $12,211 in 1897, the catch for the 

 former year being 10,576,833 pounds valued at $243,528 and for the 

 latter year 6,554,749 pounds, for which the fishermen received $173,454. 

 The decrease is most noticeable in the yield of shrimp, buffalo-fish and 

 cat-fish, the shrimp falling oft" from 6,602,050 pounds worth $90,519 in 

 1890 to 4,402,626 pounds for which the fishermen received $78,792; the 

 buffalo-fish seine catch decreased from 1,030,250 to 147,200 pounds and 

 the cat-fish yield from 653,925 to 144,900 pounds. The large decrease 

 in the yield of the last two species was due mainly to an interdiction of 

 seine fishing in the lakes; but the general decrease in the seine fishery 

 is due largely to the results of the severe storm in September of 1893, 

 which drowned many seine fishermen and destroyed much of the 

 property of the survivors. 



With the exception of the Manila fishermen employed by the Chinese 

 shrimp-driers in the Barataria region, and of several seine crews at 

 Morgan City, practically all the seine fishery of Louisiana is tributary 

 to New Orleans, and there are three branches of the fishery tributary 

 to that city, viz, Lake Pontchartrain, the St. Bernard or Shell Beach, 

 and the Barataria Bay seine fishery. In 1897 the first comprised 16 

 sail boats with an equal number of seiues and 94 men, who made their 

 headquarters at Bayou Bridge, and who landed 829,759 pounds of fish, 

 consisting i^rincipally of red-fish, trout, sheejjshead, and croakers, 

 valued at $38,384, and also of 51 crews of 106 men using 51 seines 

 worth $1,401, which were operated from various points along the shore 

 of Lake Pontchartrain, catching 368,300 pounds of fish worth $10,490. 



The St. Bernard seine fishery gave employment in 1897 to 85 men 

 using 17 seines worth $1,870, which yielded 325,000 pounds of fish 

 worth $14,334, made up principally of trout, sheepshead, redfish or 

 channel bass, shrimp, and croakers. Each of the St. Bernard seining 

 crews usually operates from a sail vessel, but the catch is generally 

 sent to market by the Shell Beach Kailroad or by wagons. 



The Barataria seine fishery gave employment in 1897 to 412 men, 

 using 79 boats worth $23,840, and 40 seines, 0,270 fathoms in length, 

 and valued at $0,705. Their catch consisted of 4,280,620 pounds of 

 shrimp, for which they received $70,223, and 494,905 pounds of other 

 species, consisting principally of trout, red-fish, channel bass, mullet, and 

 croakers, the whole being worth $21,107. Included with the aforegoing 

 are 15 crews of 190 Manilamen, Spaniards, etc., who work principally 

 for the Chinese shrimp-driers near the head of Barataria Bay. Of 

 the shrimp, 1,331,730 i)ounds were purchased by the Chinese driers, 

 1,142,300 by New Orleans shrimp-canners, and the remaining 1,781,530 

 pounds were sold at the French Market in New Orleans. Shrimp are 

 caught throughout the year in Louisiana, but the principal season is 

 during March and April, and through August and Sejitember. 



The seine fishery j)rosecuted from Morgan City is of recent origin, 



