PRODUCTS OF THE PRINCIPAL FISHERIES IN DETAIL. 



73 



In 1880 the shrimp and prawn product was 3,214,000 

 pounds, valued at $209,000; but in 1888 the product 

 from the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific coast divi- 

 sions combined amounted to 13,398,000 pounds, which 

 is slightly in excess of the output of these two divisions 

 in 1908. The price in 1888 was considerably lower 

 than at present, for the value of the product of that 

 year was $277,000, compared with $324,000 reported 

 from the same divisions in 1908. Statistics of the 

 product for the entire United States are not available 

 for any one year prior to 1908, but comparative data 

 are presented for the several divisions for various 

 years in the following tabular statement: 



In the Gulf of Mexico division a considerable por- 

 tion of the catch is consumed by the canners and 

 packers. In 1908, 3,269,000 pounds were canned, 

 342,000 pounds dried, and 79,000 pounds pickled. On 

 the Pacific coast, in the flourishing days of the shrimp 

 industry, the entire catch was taken by Chinese, and 

 large quantities of dried shrimp were exported to 

 China. The assiduity of the fishermen of this race is 

 held responsible for the great decrease in the Pacific 

 coast product noted above. 



The bulk of the catch was made by shore and boat 

 fisheries, except in Mississippi, where vessel fisheries 

 took over 80 per cent of the product. Seines took more 

 than 90 per cent of the catch, while 9 per cent of the 

 total quantity was taken with other nets and less 

 than 1 per cent with beam trawls' and pots and traps. 



SJcins. The fur skins reported in connection with 

 the census of fisheries are those of the muskrat, mink, 

 and otter. Although the value of such products is not 

 large, compared with that of most of the distinctively 

 fishery products, yet these industries give employ- 

 ment to a large number of men and are of considerable 

 local importance. The aggregate value of the skins 

 of these aquatic fur mammals reported was $255,000, 

 of which muskrats contributed $136,000, or 53 per 

 cent; mink $89,000, or 35 per cent; and otter $30,000, 

 or 12 per cent. 



The value of fur skins reported is given, by states, in 

 the following tabular statement: 



1 Less than $100. 



2 Includes Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, Arkansas, New York, and Texas. 



The trapping of muskratswas reported in 14 states, 

 and the number and value of the skins taken were as 

 follows: 



1 Includes $3,800, the value of 110,000 pounds of muskrat meat. 



'Includes North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia, and New York. 



More than one-half of the value reported repre- 

 sented the product of the contiguous states of Dela- 

 ware and Maryland. Although muskrats are trapped 

 for the skins primarily, the meat also is marketed to a 

 considerable extent. The sale of 110,000 pounds of 

 muskrat meat was reportedjrom Delaware, the value of 

 which, $3,800, has been included in the foregoing 

 statement. 



While ten states reported the trapping of mink, 

 almost eight-ninths of the product was from Louisiana, 

 as shown by the following tabular statement : 



