276 REPOKT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



PRODUCTS TAKEN BY VESSELS AND BOATS WITH EACH APPARATUS. 



Owing to the large quantity of oysters taken in this State, dredges 

 and tongs are the most productive forms of apparatus employed in i 

 both the vessel and shore fisheries. In the vessel fisheries, dredges > 

 are more generally used than tongs. The catch taken with them con- - 

 sisted of 2,416,446 bushels of oysters valued at $943,051; soft crabs, , 

 358,851 in number, valued at $5,312; and hard crabs, 47,601 in number, , 

 valued at $142. Tongs were also used to some extent, the catch by ; 

 them being 31,578 bushels of oysters valued at $13,357. In the shore 

 or boat fisheries, tongs are the principal apparatus, the quantity of 

 oysters obtained with them being 4,118,717 bushels valued at $1,667,651, 

 and of clams 15,286 bushels valued at $8,842. Dredges or scrapes arei 

 also used extensively by small boats in the oj^ster and crab fisheries. 

 The quantity of oysters secured by small boats with dredges was 688,193; 

 bushels valued at $261,143; of soft crabs 9,940,308 in number valued at. 

 $138,512, and of hard crabs 602,100 in number valued at $1,756. Thei 

 value of all products taken with dredges in the vessel and shore fish-i 

 eries combined was $1,349,916, and with tongs $1,689,850; a total of> 

 $3,039,766. 



Seines are the next most important apparatus, with respect to the( 

 value of the catch. They were used in the vessel fisheries to a limited^ 

 extent, but were operated chiefly by small boats. The catch with seines^ 

 by vessels was 42,004 pounds of fish valued at $2,642, and by small boatst 

 in the shore fisheries 10,445,422 pounds of fish valued at $142,249, 

 soft crabs 606,816 in number, valued at $12,931, and 220 pounds o: 

 terrapin valued at $200; the total value of the catch with this apparatus 

 being $158,022. The principal species of fish taken were alewives^ 

 cat-fish, white and yellow perch, shad, squeteague, and striped bass. 



The pound-net fisheries, embracing pound nets, trap nets, and weirs, 

 were also of considerable importance. The catch of fish in this group 

 of apparatus exceeded both in quantity and value that of seines, b 

 the entire yield was slightly less in value. The products of this fishery 

 consisted of 11,407,942 pounds of fish valued at $157,518, and 6001 

 pounds of caviar valued at $210; a total of 11,408,542 pounds, havingi 

 a value of $157,728. The species secured in largest quantities were 

 alewives, blue-fish, cat-fish, croakers, menhaden, white and yellow 

 perch, shad, squeteague, and striped bass. 



Gill nets were fished to a greater or less extent in every countjl 

 having fisheries, and were the only apparatus, except pound nets, scf 

 widely distributed. The products derived were 4,653,198 pounds oJi 

 fish valued at $137,649, and 994 pounds of caviar valued at $434; 

 total of 4,654,192 pounds valued at $138,083, the value being seconci 

 to that of the pound-net catch. Gill nets surpass ever}^ other single 

 apparatus in the capture of shad, the catch of that species beinf 



