STATISTICAL REVIEW OF THE COAST FISHERIES. 361 
The figures which properly belong to the east coast of Florida for 
the year 1888 may be briefly given as follows : 
Persons employed : 
Vessel fishermen 
Shore fishermen - 745 
Shoresmen and factory hands 96 
Total 851 
Apparatus and capital : 
Vessels (53.71 tons) 
Boats 482 
Seines 45 
Gill nets - 421 
Total investment, including shore property and cash capital $109, 670 
Value of products: 
General food-fish $149, 012 
Mollusks 13,104 
lieptiles 5, 87( 
Crustaceans 5, 89 1 
Total 173, 886 
VI. — FISHERIES OF THE GULF STATES. 
The coast line of the Gulf States has an approximate length of 6,875 
miles, including the indentations. Of this amount the western side of 
Florida contributes 2,820 miles, Alabama 180 miles, Mississippi 215 
miles, Louisiana 1,650 miles, and Texas 2,010 miles. 
In no other section of the country has the percentage of increase been 
so marked as in the Gulf States since 1880, although the actual ad- 
vance has been less than in some other regions. The increase has been 
especially noticeable in the oyster fishery and in the number of vessels 
and boats employed, this section ranking next to the Middle and New 
England States in the latter respect. Next to the general food-fish 
fisheries, which yield the largest returns, the oyster fishery is of the 
greatest importance, followed by the sponge, crustacean, and reptilian 
fisheries, the last named, although the least remunerative, being of 
greater extent than the combined reptilian fisheries of all other sections. 
The fisheries of this region gave employment in 1888 to 9,543 persons, 
of whom 1,639 were vessel fishermen, 6,364 shore fishermen, and 1,540 
factory hands, preparators, etc. The capital invested amounted in the 
aggregate to $1,884,710, of which $504,648 represented vessels and 
their outfits, $371,332 boats, $107,250 apparatus of capture, and $901,480 
shore property and cash capital. The yield of the fisheries was valued 
at $1,819,745. 
FLORIDA. 
The statements given in these tables cover the commercial fisheries 
of the State, with the exception of a limited amount of fishing in some of 
the small lakes and minor rivers and the business of hunting alligators. 
The statistics practically cover the same ground as the census of 1880, 
and therefore afford a very satisfactory basis for comparison. 
