204 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 



The commercial fisheries of the State are carried ou chiefly in the 

 bays and near the outlets of the rivers in Beaufort, Charleston, and 

 Georgetown counties, the cities of Charleston and Georgetown being 

 the principal fishery centers. The fisheries of the interior waters are 

 to a considerable extent for local use, shad comprising the iirincipal 

 part of the catch. 



In the Charleston fish markets, both wholesale and retail, sea bass, 

 •whiting, and shad are the leading species. One species, not often found 

 in fish markets, was the shark, which is skinned and cut up into strips 

 and sold in small bunches of from 1 to 2 pounds, at 10 cents a bunch. 

 Some 30,000 pounds of sharks are sold during the year to the negro 

 population. All fresh fish are sold by the piece or the bunch, the latter 

 being made up of small-sized pan-fish. Terrapin are found in more or 

 less abundance in the bays, creeks, and inlets of Beaufort and Charles- 

 ton counties, the larger portion being taken at or near McClellanville. 

 Terrapin are secured by nets, and by hand-picking as found buried in 

 the sand or mud, and are reported as becoming scarce. The sturgeon 

 fishery is one of the most valuable branches of the fish business of 

 Georgetown County. Sturgeon are taken by gill nets of from 12 to 15 

 inch mesh, and an average of 900 feet in length, being 20 to 22 feet 

 deep. The sturgeon are all of quite large size, ranging from 100 to 

 300 pounds, with an average of 125 pounds. Occasionally much larger 

 fish are taken. The sturgeon catch of Georgetown County is made in 

 and near the mouth of the Santee River, in Winyah Bay and Waccamaw 

 River as far as Laurel, the largest part of the catch being made in the 

 lower end of Winyah Bay. 



The shad is the most important species in this region, both as to 

 quantity and value. The shad catch of Georgetown County is all 

 made by means of gill nets fished in Winyah Bay, Waccamaw, Peedee, 

 Black, and Santee rivers, the greater part being from Winyah Bay 

 and Waccamaw River. The catch from the three last-mentioned rivers 

 is mostly used locally. The shad nets employed in the waters of 

 Winyah Bay and Waccamaw River are 5J-inch mesh, 1,000 to 1,200 feet 

 in length and 22 feet deep. The shad catch is reported as having 

 much improved of late years, as a result of large plantings of shad fry. 

 The season's catch of 1897 and 1898 averages 500 shad to each net, the 

 average weight being 4 pounds, with many of (> and 8 pounds. One 

 caught in Winyah Bay in February, 1898, was reported to have weighed 

 10 pounds. 



The fisheries of this section are of much value to the city and county 

 of Georgetown, where several firms act as agents for or partners of 

 the fishermen, furnishing them with nets and supplies, and receiving, 

 packing, and forwarding the catch to northern markets. 



Beaufort County fisheries are chiefly represented in products by 

 oysters, that are mostly sold to the canneries located at Ladies Island, 



