368 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



THE FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 



The five counties haA^ng fishery interests are Newport, Bristol, Prov- 

 idence, Kent, and Washington, the first named taking precedence over 

 all others in the number of persons employed and in the quantity and 

 value of fish proper, although Bristol County ranks first in the total 

 value of products, owing to the large oyster yield, this fishery being 

 conducted chiefly in Bristol, Providence, and Kent counties. 



The molluscan fisheries of Newport County are mainly for quahogs, 

 clams, and mussels, most of the quahogs in 1898 being from Codding- 

 ton Cove, near Newport, where 2,640 bushels were secured, valued at 

 $3,080. The price received for them was $1 per bushel in summer and 

 $1.25 in the winter. Of the clams shown for this county 1,500 bushels 

 were obtained from '^Salt Pond," on Block Island. 



In the lobster fishery Newport County ranks first and Washington 

 second, the entire lobster catch of the State being taken in these two 

 counties, except 2,500 pounds, valued at $188, in Bristol County, 



Newport County is also prominent in the number of vessels employed 

 and in the trap-net and pound -net fisheries. The number of vessels in 

 its fisheries was 53, valued at $70,550, and the number of trap nets and 

 pound nets was 111, valued at $83,550; being over half the number 

 of vessels and of trap nets and pound nets in the State. The catch of 

 trap nets and pound nets in this county aggregated 10,561,019 pounds, 

 valued at $151,729, or about 73 per cent of the total catch for the State 

 by these apparatus. 



Block Island, in Newport County, is the principal center of the line 

 and sword-fish fisheries. The products in 1898 aggregated 2,327,026 

 pounds, valued at $64,399, consisting chiefly of cod, haddock, blue-fish, 

 mackerel, and sword-fish in the vessel fisheries, and of squeteague, 

 flat-fish and flounders, bonito, pollock, alewives, sea bass, and scup in 

 the shore fisheries. 



In the vessel fisheries there were 8 schooners, of from 13 to 25 tons 

 net register, valued at $19,100, and 13 smaller vessels, valued at $8,000; 

 a total of 21 vessels, valued at $27,100, with 239 net tons. 



Besides quite a number of small rowboats, there were in the shore 

 fisheries 25 sailboats, valued at $7,850. The principal apparatus in 

 the shore fisheries were pound nets, gill nets, lobster pots, and lines. 



The vessel fisheries of Block Island have undergone some change 

 during recent years with respect to types of vessels. The old style 

 "pink}^" or "Block Island boat" is no longer built, being superseded 

 by the "catboat." Five old pinky boats still remain in the business, 

 but no vessels of this type have been built during the past 18 or 20 

 years. The "Block Island boat" was especially well adapted for with- 

 standing a heavy sea, being deep and double-ended; they are easily 

 managed and fast sailers, but somewhat lacking in accommodations; 23 

 of these vessels were employed in the fisheries at Block Island in 1879. 



