A.— INTRODUCTION. 



TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS. 



The products of the fisheries of the United States in 1880 were 

 valued at $ 43,046,053, and their value in 1882 was estimated to be 24 

 per cent, greater. This represents the first cost, or value to the fisher- 

 men, and if we estimate the products at the wholesale market prices the 

 total amount would be about $100,000,000. The New England States 

 stand first in importance in the value of the products, next in order 

 come the Southern States bordering on the Atlantic, the Middle States 

 next, then the Pacific coast, the Great Lakes, and last of all the States 

 bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. 



• VALUE OF PRINCIPAL FISHERIES. 



The relative importance of the products of the principal fisheries of 

 the country in 1880 was as follows: General fisheries, $22,405,0.18; 

 whale fishery, $2,323,943 ; fur-seal fishery, $2,289,813 ; menhaden fish- 

 ery, $2,116,787; oyster fishery, $13,403,852; sponge fishery, $200,750; 

 and marine salt industry, $305,890. An estimate by Mr. G. Brown 

 Goode of the comparative value of the products of some of the fish- 

 eries included above under the head of the general fisheries, taken 

 in the order of their importance, credits the cod fishery with $4,000,000; 

 the Pacific salmon fishery, $3,300,000; mackerel fishery, $1,501,000; 

 inland lake and creek fishery, $1,500,000 ; shad and alewife fisheries, 

 $1,500,000; herring and sardine fishery, $1,130,000; clam and quahaug 

 fishery, $1,014,000; Great Lake whitefish fishery, $900,000; lobster 

 fishery, $732,000 ; Great Lake general fishery, $600,000 ; shore fishery 

 of the Middle States, $600,000 ; weir and trap fishery of New England, 

 $600,000 ; sea-otter fishery, $600,000 ; halibut fishery, $447,000 ; Cali- 

 fornia shore fishery, $370,000 ; crab fishery, $328,000 ; winter haddock 

 fishery, $295,000 ; sturgeon fisheries, $237,000 ; mullet fishery, $225,000; 

 shrimp and prawn fishery, $209,000; eel fishery, $190,000; abalone fish- 

 ery, $128,000; hake fishery, $90,000; South Atlantic shore fishery, 

 $85,000 ; scallop fishery, $50,000 ; New England shore fishery, $50,000; 

 red-snapper and grouper fishery, $48,000; smelt fishery, $48,000; 

 turtle and terrapin fishery, $45,000 ; mussel fishery, $37,000 ; flounder 

 fishery, $30,000; swordfish fishery, $28,000; Eastern salmon fishery, 

 $22,000; seaweed industry, $19,000; and the Irish moss industry, 

 $16,000. 1037 



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