FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



OHAPTEE I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Scope and method. — The present report on the fish- 

 eries of the United States relates to the commercial 

 fisheries of continental United States for the calendar 

 year 1908, and is based on a canvass of these fisheries 

 made by the Bureau of the Census in cooperation with 

 the Bureau of Fisheries. A summary of the statistics 

 of the fisheries of Alaska is given in the appendix on 

 page 297, and in some of the tables in the chapter on 

 canning and preserving figures for Alaska are included. 

 The report is designed to cover shore fisheries, i. e., 

 those carried on from shore or from boats of less 

 than 5 tons; vessel fisheries, i. e., those conducted 

 by vessels of 5 tons and over ; the operations of ves- 

 sels engaged in transporting fish from the fishing 

 grounds, but not including vessels engaged in trans- 

 porting fish from port to port as regular freight ; and 

 the business of packing and canning houses. The 

 report does not cover the operations of individuals, 

 clubs, etc., catching fish for their own consumption or 

 for sport, or the business of those who deal in fish prod- 

 ucts simply as merchandise. The statistics are for the 

 business year most nearly conforming to the year end- 

 ing December 31, 1908; such data as relate to a fixed 

 time, as cash on hand and value of property, relate to 

 the beginning of the business year reported. The 

 statistics as to the products include, besides the quan- 

 tity and value of fish products proper, the number or 

 quantity and value of aquatic mammals, reptiles, shell- 

 fish, sponges, etc., taken during the year. 



The canvass was begun in January and finished in 

 August of 1909. In order that^t might be made thor- 

 oughly and rapidly, the entire country was divided into 

 districts, to each of which one or more special agents 

 were assigned, about 40 agents in all being employed. 

 The Census Bureau was greatly assisted by the cooper- 

 ation of the various state fish commissions and game 

 wardens, with whom close relations were maintained. 

 The agents were furnished with lists containing the 

 names of fishing vessels and the names and addresses 

 of the owners. They were instructed, however, not to 

 confine their investigation to the names on these lists, 

 which were prepared in some cases from records several 

 years old, but to be constantly on the alert to discover 

 vessels and establishments engaged in the fishing indus- 

 try which were not listed. In addition to securing the 

 information called for in the schedules each agent was 



required to obtain such other information as might 

 prove valuable in determining the general condition 

 and tendencies of the industry in the section of the 

 country which he was canvassing. 



A census of fisheries is attended perhaps with more 

 difficulties than one of any other industry canvassed 

 by the Bureau of the Census. Calling, as it does, for 

 the number of persons employed and the investment 

 in vessels, outfits, boats, and apparatus of capture both 

 ashore and afloat, as well as the quantity and value of 

 all commercial products of the seas, lakes, and rivers, it 

 requires, in order that it be exhaustive, that a return be 

 secured not only from all proprietors and firms engaged 

 in the fishing business, but also from all independent 

 fishermen who fish for profit. With respect to the 

 vessel fisheries the problem was comparatively simple 

 and the returns may be considered substantially accu- 

 rate. All fishing craft of 5 tons or over are required to 

 be documented, and as the names and home ports of 

 these vessels are matters of record, and as such vessels 

 are well known to the principal fishermen and fish 

 dealers living in the district in which they operate, 

 they and their owners could, as a rule, readily be 

 located and canvassed. Moreover, the vessel fisher- 

 men usually make a regular business of fishing and 

 keep books of record showing the species, amount, and 

 value of the catch as well as other data called for in the 

 schedules. The canvass is hkewise essentially com- 

 plete for the shore and boat fisheries so far as the oper- 

 ations of companies, firms, and individuals employing 

 wage-earners are concerned, for these are, as a rule, 

 located at the fishing centers and are known in the fish 

 markets of their respective districts. The problem of 

 securing reports from the independent fishermen, 

 those who fish alone and do not employ others, was, 

 however, especially difficult . These fishermen are scat- 

 tered all along the coast, inlets, and waterways, many 

 of them away from general routes of travel, and are 

 consequently difficult of access. Their occupation 

 takes them away from home much of the time, either 

 in fishing or in transporting their catch to market; 

 hence, with the corps of agents available for the work, 

 it became a physical impossibility to make a personal 

 canvass of each and every fisherman within a reason- 

 able period of time, as in order to do this an agent 

 would have had to make repeated trips to the same 



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