FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



103 



The sponge and red snapper products of the vessel 

 fisheries of the Gulf coast together had a value of 

 $851,000, or 94 per cent of the total for the fisheries in 

 question. The total catch of the vessel fisheries in 

 the Atlantic waters was 745,000 pounds, valued at 

 $25,000, which represents 7 per cent in quantity and 

 3 per cent in value of the total products of the vessel 

 fisheries of the state. Of the total products of the 

 Atlantic fisheries of the state, the products of the 

 vessel fisheries formed 2 per cent both in quantity and 

 in value. 



Products, by apparatus of capture. The distribution 

 of the total value of products for 1908 by apparatus of 

 capture is given in the following tabular statement for 

 the state as a whole and for the vessel fisheries and the 

 shore and boat fisheries, respectively: 



The value of the products caught by gill nets forms 

 a larger percentage of the total value than that for 

 any other apparatus of capture. This class of appa- 

 ratus was used to a greater or less extent in the 

 capture of nearly all of the numerous species of fish 

 proper reported, although 70 per cent of the total 

 value of the gill-net catch represents the combined 

 value of mullet and shad. The use of gill nets was 

 practically confined to the shore and boat fisheries. 

 The next highest value of products was reported for 

 the catch by lines. The red snapper, which constituted 

 70 per cent of the total line catch in value, was taken 

 exclusively with lines. 



The following tabular statement shows the total 

 value of fishery products, distributed by apparatus of 

 capture, for the state and for the Gulf and the Atlantic 

 coast waters, respectively : 



Mullet. While the total product of the state's 

 mullet fishery in 1908, including roe (24,716,000 

 pounds), was considerably less than the catch of 1902 

 (32,289,000 pounds), it was larger than for any other 

 year for which statistics are available. The increase 

 in the price per pound was sufficient, however, to raise 

 the total value of the product from $473,000 in 1902 

 to $652,000 in 1908, an increase in value of 38 per cent, 

 compared with a decrease in weight of 24 per cent. 

 Mullet contributed only 19 per cent of the value of the 

 state's fishery products in 1908, but constituted one- 

 third of the aggregate weight of all such products. 

 Practically all of the mullet was taken in the shore 

 and boat fisheries, less than 1 per cent being the prod- 

 uct of vessel fisheries. Seventy-two percent of the 

 total value of this product was reported for the Gulf 

 fisheries. 



The principal apparatus of capture employed in the 

 mullet fishery was gill nets, by means of which mullet 

 valued at $542,000 was caught, representing 83 per 

 cent of the total value of the state's mullet catch. 

 Seines ranked next, the value of the amount taken in 

 this way forming 14 per cent of the total value reported 

 for this species. The remaining 2 per cent represents 

 the catch by means of trammel nets, cast nets, and 

 dip nets. 



Of the mullet product, 1,046,000 pounds, valued at 

 $39,000, was reported as having been salted, and 

 135,000 pounds consisted of mullet roe, valued at 

 $15,000. 



Sponges. As already indicated, the sponge fishery 

 belongs exclusively to the Gulf coast district. It is 

 subject to marked fluctuations from year to year, and 

 for a few years following 1900 it appeared to be on a 

 decline. The statistics for 1908, however, show a 

 large increase both in quantity and in value of product; 

 the quantity exceeded that reported for any prior year, 

 and the value was exceeded only by that reported for 

 the year 1900. The average prices per pound for the 

 different grades and for the product as a whole are, 

 however, lower than they have been for a number of 

 years for which statistics are available. As the sponge 

 fisheries of Florida represent the entire industry in 

 the United States, the statistics in regard to the persons 

 employed, the equipment in vessels, boats, and appa- 

 ratus, and the capital are herewith presented. 



In 1908 there were employed in the sponge fisheries 

 143 sailing vessels, which aggregated 2,200 tons and 

 were valued at $186,000. These vessels carried 88 

 diving boats and 367 other boats. The investment in 

 outfit was $103,000. The total investment in vessels, 

 boats, and their outfit was $337,000 for the vessel 

 fisheries. In the shore and boat sponge fisheries, 567 

 additional boats of all kinds, valued at $102,000, were 

 used. Their value, added to the foregoing, makes a 

 total investment of $439,000 in vessels, boats, and 

 outfits in connection with the sponge industry. The 

 567 boats employed in the shore and boat sponge 

 fisheries consisted of 2 motor boats, 175 sailboats, 356 



