58 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



only about one-eighth of the total halibut catch in 

 quantity, contributed one-fifth of its total value. 

 The statistics of the catch reported by the different 

 states are as follows: 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



The catch in 1908 was nearly twice as great in weight 

 and value as that of any previous year. The most 

 notable features of the statistics for 1908, as com- 

 pared with those for prior canvasses, are the decrease 

 in the catch of the New England fisheries and the 

 increase in that of the Pacific coast fisheries. The 

 following tabular statement gives the quantity and 

 value of the catch for the various years for which 

 returns are available : 



With the exception of 656,000 pounds of salted 

 halibut, valued at $53,000, all the output in 1908 was 

 sold fresh. All the salted halibut product was reported 

 by the fisheries of Massachusetts. In previous years 

 much larger quantities were salted in the Massachusetts 

 fisheries, as is shown by the following tabular statement 

 giving the statistics for certain years for which detailed 

 reports were made: 



With the exception of 9,000 pounds, valued at $900, 

 taken in other trawls, the entire halibut catch of the 

 country was made with lines. 



Herring (Clupea harengus). The herring is a very 

 important food fish found in the north Atlantic as far 

 south as Sandy Hook; it is never found in brackish 

 or fresh waters. ' ' Sperling ' ' and ' ' brit ' ' denote differ- 

 ences in the age of the fish. Trade names are "Digby 

 chicken," "hard herring," "bloaters," etc. Herring 

 weigh from one-half pound to one pound, and average 

 in length about 10 inches. As a food fish they are 

 used fresh, salted, pickled, smoked, and canned. They 

 are also used extensively for bait in the cod, haddock, 

 halibut, and hake fisheries. 



The California herring is an allied species found 

 along the entire length of the Pacific coast. The 

 name "herring" is also applied to the Gulf menhaden 

 on the Texas coast and to the menhaden in southern 

 Florida. The hickory shad is called " thread herring " 

 in North Carolina. 



The herring catch in 1908 amounted to 125,050,000 

 pounds, valued at $796,000. Of this amount, 92 per 

 cent was marketed fresh, and the balance, 8 per cent, 

 was salted or smoked. Maine and Massachusetts 

 fishermen captured 97 per cent of the total quantity, 

 which represents 96 per cent of the total value. All 

 of the salted product was reported from Maine and 

 Massachusetts, and all of the smoked product from 

 Maine. The statistics of the herring catch, by states 

 ranked in the order of the value of their products, are 

 given in the following tabular statement : 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



The following tabular statement shows the quantity 

 and value of the herring catch in specified years : 



