576 



GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



Detailed statement of the capital invested and apparatus employed. 



Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. 



210. THE FISHERIES OF NEW ORLEANS AND OTHER PLAGES. 



FISHERMEN. There are on the coast of Louisiana three hundred and thirty-two professional 

 fishermen, of whom one hundred and twenty-nine are engaged in the oyster business. Of the 

 remainder, one hundred and eighty-eight ply the seine and gill-net, and the other fifteen are 

 smack fishermen. 



APPARATUS The seines and gill-nets are used to catch the small inside-water fishes and 

 those of the sea that are found along the shores. In different localities they are set with different 

 objects in view. Along the outside shores of the islands which separate Mississippi Sound from 

 the sea, and about the Chandeleur Islands, seines of medium size are used to catch the passing 

 shoala of bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel, bonito, &c., while among these islands small 

 seines and trammel-nets are employed to catch the so-called "bottom fish"; these have already 

 been specified. They are found at the bottom feeding among the grass and weeds. There is also 

 the lake and bayou fishing, carried on in Lake Poutchartrain, in winter only, and in the many 

 bays and coves in the extensive marshes of this neighborhood at such times as fish are very 

 abundant, but on account of extremely shoal water, muddy bottom, and the numerous chances of 

 the escape of the fish, the nets used at other places would be of little service here, and for that 

 reason long, shallow, and lightly weighted seines are prepared, and these can be successfully 

 dragged through such places. In some of the deeper bayous and lake channels trammel-nets are 

 used with good results. Seines and casting-nets are used in the shrimp fishery. 



The net fishermen are stationed at different points along the coast from Mobile Bay to the 

 western extremity of the Louisiana coast. Some have their homes on islands near the fishing 

 grounds, while the majority of them camp at various points throughout the fishing season. For 

 the transportation of their catches they depend upon railroads, passing steamboats, and oyster- 

 boats ; occasionally they have a boat engaged for the purpose. The greater part of their fish go 

 to market on ice; those, however, caught near home are sent without any preservative. 



SHRIMP. The shrimp fishery and canning industry are of groat importance. They are 

 described in another section of this report. 



