FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



101 



The Gulf coast fisheries employed nearly two-thirds 

 of all the fishermen of the state and 93 per cent of 

 those engaged in the vessel fisheries. 



The fishermen engaged in the shore and boat fish- 

 eries of the Atlantic coast were to a large extent inde- 

 pendent fishermen, only 710 wage-earners being 

 employed by the 2,283 persons classed as proprietors 

 and independent fishermen in the returns of these 

 fisheries. On the other hand, a large majority of the 

 fishermen employed in the shore and boat fisheries of 

 the Gulf were wage-earners. Of those engaged in the 

 Atlantic coast fisheries, nearly 94 per cent were in the 

 shore and boat fisheries, while only 62 per cent of 

 those engaged in the Gulf fisheries belonged to this 

 class. 



Equipment and other capital. The following table 

 gives the value of the equipment in vessels, boats, and 

 apparatus of capture and the amount of other capital 

 employed : 



The following table gives the statistics in respect to 

 the number and tonnage of the vessels and the number 

 of the boats used in the fisheries : 



The total investment was $2,416,000, of which 

 $1,884,000, or 78 per cent, was reported from the 

 Gulf coast, and $531,000, or 22 per cent, from the 

 Atlantic coast. Not including the value of shore and 

 accessory property and cash capital, the amount 

 invested in the fishing industry of the state was 

 $1,747,000, compared with an investment of $1,298,000 

 reported by the Bureau of Fisheries in 1902. The 

 investment in fishing and transporting vessels was 

 $840,000 and in boats $575,000, making a total invest- 

 ment in floating craft of $1,421,000. Of this amount, 

 $1,143,000, or 80 per cent, pertained to the Gulf 

 fisheries. 



The investment in apparatus of capture in the shore 

 and boat fisheries of Florida largely exceeded that for 

 the vessel fisheries. The total investment in floating 

 craft was, however, greater for the vessel fisheries. 

 The number of the various kinds of apparatus of cap- 

 ture employed is shown for each district and for each 

 class of fisheries in the following tabular statement: 



Products, by species. The fishery products of the 

 state, distributed by species and by apparatus of cap- 

 ture, are given in Table 1, on page 106. 



In 1908 the mullet fishery led in value of catch and 

 was followed by the sponge fishery and the red snapper 

 fishery. These three fisheries contributed nearly one- 

 half of the total value of products. 



The total product of the state in 1908 was 74,087,000 

 pounds, valued at $3,389,000. Marked gains are 

 shown over the total quantities as reported for earlier 

 years. 



Products, by fishing grounds. The fishery product of 

 the Gulf coast of Florida, distributed by species and by 

 apparatus of capture, is presented in Table 2, page 107. 



The sponge fishery was the most important on the 

 Gulf coast, having a total product of 622,000 pounds, 

 valued at $545,000. This constituted the entire 

 sponge product of the United States, and represented 

 26 per cent of the total value of products of the Gulf 

 coast fisheries of Florida. Following the sponge fish- 

 ery closely in the value of their product were the 

 mullet and red snapper fisheries. The product of the 



