226 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The seines used on the river vary greatly, ranging from 200 to 750 

 yards, with 3-inch or 4-inch mesh. 



The princii)a] gill-net grounds are from Mayport, at the mouth, to 

 Jacksonville, a distance of about 20 miles, where the nets are drifted 

 with the tide; «,nd from Bridgeport to Welaka, where the nets are 

 drifted in the narrow reaches where there is some current. A few nets 

 are also operated in other parts of the river. 



Up to last season the principal seining grounds were in Lake Har- 

 ney, but it is said that it does not now pay to operate there, and last 

 season most of the fishermen worked between Sauford and the mouth 

 of the Wikiva River. An important seining- ground is in the river just 

 above Volusia bar. Seining is not permitted in the wide reaches of 

 the river, which are called lakes. 



The following table shows the fluctuations in the apparatus and catch 

 of shad for nine years. The only years for which close accuracy can be 

 claimed are the last four, previous data being largely estimated. 



Number of nets. 



1873 

 1876 



1877 

 1878 

 1880 

 1889 

 1890 

 1896 

 1897 



GiU 

 nets. 



80 

 64 

 112 

 80 

 184 

 166 

 191 

 171 

 168 



Seines. 



Pound 

 nets. 



Total. 



80 

 64 

 112 

 80 

 185 

 176 

 202 

 195 

 205 



Number of sliad caught. 



The fishery reached its greatest height in 1890, since which time there 

 has been a steady decline. In 1873 the average catch to the gill net 

 was 3,125 shad; in 1876, 1877, and 1878 the average was 2,500; in 1889, 

 2,971; in 1890, 3,046; in 1896, 1,936, and in 1897, 1,351. While the 

 number of seines increased very rapidly in 1896 and 1897, the catch 

 steadily decreased from that of 1890. During the sejison of 1896 there 

 were in use on the St. Johns River 171 gill nets and 24 seines, operated 

 by 447 fishermen. The seine catch amounted to 125,248 shad, weigh- 

 ing 255,555 pounds, and was valued at $8,627. The gill-net catch was 

 331,033 shad, weighing 1,029,001 pounds, valued at |53,297. 



During the season of 1897, 168 gill nets and 37 seines were operated 

 by 536 fishermen. The seines took 115,711 shad, weighing 260,347 

 pounds, valued at $11,409, while the gill nets took 227,027 shad, weigh- 

 ing 746,980 pounds, and valued at $29,713. 



A comparison of these two seasons shows that in 1897 there were 3 

 less gill nets and 13 more seines in use, while the number of fishermen 

 increased 89. The seine catch for this season sliows a decrease of 

 9,537 shad from the previous season, but a gain of 4,792 pounds in 

 weight and $2,782 in value. The gain in weight and most of the gain 

 in value are explained by the fact that fewer small shad, or " skips," 



