160 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 FISHERIES OF TEXAS. 



The fisheries of Texas are coufiued almost exclusively to the coastal 

 indeiitatious aud their estuaries. lu the Gulf of Mexico very few fish 

 are caught, the ouly important fishery prosecuted there being the 

 taking of red snappers. The principal fisheries in the bays are seining 

 and oystering, while associated with these and of less importance are the 

 use of green turtle nets, cast nets, lines, spears, etc. The history and 

 method of the fisheries and the fishery resources of Texas were described 

 in considerable detail in the report of the U. S. Fish Commission for 

 1891, to which reference should be made.^ 



The general condition of the fisheries in 1897 did not compare favor- 

 ably with that of 1890, there being a decrease at nearly all points except 

 Matagorda Bay aud Sabine Lake. The persons employed numbered 

 1,277 in 1890 as against 1,199 in 1897. The value of vessels, boats, 

 apparatus, shore i^roperty, etc., decreased from $319,122 to $237,490, the 

 reduction being greatest in the case of shore property and cash capital. 

 The value of the products in 1890 was $313,832 against $280,610 in 1897. 

 In 1880 the persons employed numbered 001; the capital invested, 

 $42,400, and the value of the products, $128,300. The greatest decrease 

 in i)roducts in 1897 is noticed in the case of oysters, but nearly all 

 the fisheries show some falling-off since 1890. 



A noticeable exception to this is the yield of red snappers, of which 

 only 4,800 pounds were obtained in 1890, whereas the product in 1897 

 approximated 464,791 pounds, valued at $17,451. Prior to 1892 the 

 red-snapper fishery was of little value in Texas, being confined to an 

 occasional trip at odd intervals. Since then an important and profitable 

 fishery has been developed at Galveston, the vessels making weekly 

 trips to the banks south of that port. 



The seine fishing is the most valuable and extensive fishery in Texas. 

 The number of seines has increased from 136 in 1890 to 171 in 1897, 

 but the yield shows a falling-oft", the catch in 1890 being 3,786,100 

 pounds, whereas in 1897 it was 3,561,035 pounds; the value being 

 $157,502 in the former year and $143,070 in the latter. The decrease 

 in the yield of the seines is greatest in case of sheepshead, the total 

 yield of that species in 1890 being 759,050 pounds, whereas in 1897 it 

 was but 464,024 pounds. Trout, croakers, and several other species 

 show considerable decrease. On the other hand, the yield of blue-fish, 

 flounders, Spanish mackerel, and shrimp has increased. 



The oyster industry shows a much greater decrease since 1890 than 

 the seine fishery. The yield in 1890 aggregated 440,800 bushels, valued 

 at $127,990, whereas in 1897 it was but 355,910 bushels, worth $94,663 

 at first hands. This is due to business depression in several of the 

 coastal towns and to the failure of the principal attempts made at oyster 



' The Coast Fislieries of Texas, by Charles H, Steveusou, Report U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission for 1889-1891, pp. 373-420. 



