THE FISHERMEN OF THE UNITED STATES. 



A.-NATIONALITY AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



1. GENERAL REVIEW. 



Ill 1880 there were 101,684 professional fishermen in the United States. In addition to the 

 professional fishermen there is a large class of men who have been called " semi-professional fisher- 

 men," including the men who derive from the fisheries less than half of their entire income. 



In the class of shoresmen may be placed (1) the carers and packers of fish ; (2) the vessel 

 owners and fitters who furnish supplies and apparatus, for the use of the active fishermen ; (3) the 

 shopkeepers from whom they purchase provisions and clothing; (4) the skilled laborers who manu- 

 facture for them articles of apparel and shelter ; (5) the manufacturers of boxes, barrels, refrigera- 

 tors, and other appliances used in packing and preserving the catch ; (6) the vessel and boat build- 

 ers and artisans who keep the fleet in repair; and (7) the fish dealers and market men. Taking 

 into account all those persons who are directly employed in the fisheries for a greater or less portion 

 of the year, those who are dependent upon the fishermen in a commercial way for support, and the 

 members of their fardilies who depend on their labors, it cannot be extravagant to estimate the 

 total number of persons dependent upon the fisheries of this country at from 800,000 to 1,000,000. 



The total value of the fisheries of the United States to the producers in 1880 was $ 44,546,053, 

 and a fair estimate of the wholesale market value of the products would increase the amount to 

 nearly $90,000,000. 



Of the twenty-nine States and Territories whose citizens are engaged in the fishery industrj', 

 sixteen have more than a thousand professional fishermen each. The most important of these 

 is Massachusetts, with 17,105 men; second stands Maine, with 8,110; unless, indeed, the 16,000 

 oystermen of Virginia and the 15,000 of Maryland are allowed to swell the totals for those States. 

 Maine, hov/ever, stands second so far as the ocean fisheries proper are concerned. 



In geographical areas the Southern Atlantic States rank first in the number of fishermen, with 

 38,774 men ; followed by the New England States, with 29,838 ; the Middle States, exclusive of 

 the Great Lakes, with 12,584; the Pacific States and Territories, 11,613; the Great Lakes, 4,493; 

 and the Gulf States, 4,382. 



The number of professional fishermen in each State and Territory is as follows : 



