FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



181 



Oysters. The oyster product, all of which was taken 

 in the Gulf of Mexico district, mostly by vessel fisher- 

 men, contributed 53 per cent of the value of the state 

 fishery products. The oysters taken by the shore and 

 boat fisheries brought a price considerably higher than 

 that received for the product of the vessel fisheries, 

 the average price being 46 cents per bushel for the 

 former, as against 24 cents for the latter. Oyster 

 farming was followed to a very limited extent, less 

 than 1 per cent of the total oyster product being from 

 private areas. The entire oyster product in 1908 was 

 much smaller than in 1902, but compared with the 

 yield in previous years, must be considered unusually 

 large. The following statement gives statistics of the 

 oyster product for 1908 and for previous canvasses: 



Shrimp. Shrimp are taken in Mississippi in larger 

 quantities than in any other state except Louisiana. 

 They represented 15 per cent of the total value of the 

 state product, and were taken in both the Mississippi 

 River and the Gulf of Mexico districts. Only 3 per 

 cent of the total shrimp product was taken in the 

 Mississippi River district, but this small portion 

 contributed 14 per cent of the total value. The vessel 

 fisheries of the Gulf took a quantity valued at 70 per 

 cent of the total value for the state. The product of 

 the Gulf was taken almost exclusively with seines, 

 while in the Mississippi River shrimp traps were the 

 form of apparatus of capture used. In quantity the 

 shrimp catch of 1908 shows a decrease compared with 

 that of 1902, but an increase over years prior thereto. 

 In value, however, the shrimp product has increased 

 steadily since 1890, as is shown by the following 

 tabular statement : 



Buffalo fish. This fish was the leading species of 

 fish proper, and was taken almost exclusively in the 

 Mississippi River district, where it contributed 35 

 per cent of the value of the product. Fyke and 

 hoop nets were the principal forms of apparatus of 

 capture used. The catch of buffalo fish in 1908, 

 although about double that of 1894, shows a decrease 

 compared with 1899. Statistics of the catch of 

 buffalo fish in the Mississippi River district for 1894, 

 1899, and 1908 are given in the folio whig tabular 

 statement: 



Squeteague, or sea trout. The catch of squeteague 

 has increased constantly in quantity, as reported at 

 the various canvasses, and of late years, in value, as 

 is shown by the following tabular statement: 



Other products. Mullet contributed 4 per cent of 

 the value of the state product. This species, almost 

 the entire catch of which was taken with trammel 

 nets, ranked third in value among the fish products 

 proper of the state, and second among those of the 

 Gulf district. During recent years the mullet product 

 has increased greatly in both quantity and value, as 

 is indicated by the following tabular statement: 



