10 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



in the statistics for other states "catfish" represents 

 the various species of Siluridse commonly known by 

 that name. The name "pompano" on the Atlantic 

 coast designates TracJiinotus carolinus, the common 

 pompano, but in the statistics for California this name 

 represents Pdlometa simillima, which is one of the but- 

 terfishes, and is included with the butterfishes in the 

 summary statistics. 



Comparison with statistics of previous canvasses. — 

 Statistics of fishing industries for 1880 and 1889 were 

 included in the reports of the Tenth and Eleventh 

 censuses. Statistical reports on fisheries have also 

 been issued from time to time by the Bureau of Fish- 

 eries in which only certain sections of the country are 

 considered in any one year. The seven districts into 

 which the United States has been divided for this pur- 

 pose and the years for which statistics have been pub- 

 lished are as follows: New England states, 188S, 1898, 

 1902, and 1905; Middle Atlantic states, 1888, 1892, 1897, 

 1901, and 1904; South Atlantic states, 1888, 1897, and 

 1902; Gulf states, 1888, 1890, 1897, and 1902; Pacific 

 states, 1888, 1892, 1895, 1899, and 1904; Great Lakes 

 1885, 1890, 1899, and 1903; and the Mississippi River 

 and its tributaries, 1894, 1899, and 1903. These reports 

 show in detail the number of persons engaged in the 

 fisheries ; the investment in fishing vessels, transporting 

 vessels, boats, various apparatus of capture, and shore 

 and accessory property, and the amount of cash capi- 

 tal ; and the amount and value of products by species 

 taken and by apparatus used. In the following table 

 are presented the comparable statistics for the United 

 States (exclusive of Alaska) for the censuses of 1908, 

 1889, and 1880, and a consolidation from selected reports 

 of the Bureau of Fisheries made for the several districts 

 mentioned above from 1900 to 1904. For the purpose 

 of comparison the statistics as to the number of persons 

 employed are confined to fishermen, exclusive of shores- 

 men, while those relating to the capital employed are 

 confined to that invested in vessels and their outfits, 

 boats, and apparatus of capture, and do not include 

 capital invested in shore and accessory property or 

 cash capital. 



It will be observed that the items for each canvass 

 show an increase over the corresponding figures for the 

 last preceding canvass, except that the number of fish- 

 ermen for the period 1900-1904 exceeds the number 

 for 1908; the number of vessels shown for 1889 exceeds 

 that for either of the subsequent canvasses; and the 

 tonnage of vessels shows a decrease at each canvass, as 

 compared with the preceding one. 



In 1880 the investment in vessels formed 47 per cent 



of the total reported, and the investment in boats 12 



' per cent, while in 1908 the investment in vessels shows 



a decrease in relative importance to 41 per cent of the 

 total, and that in boats an increase to 21 per cent. 

 The proportion represented by investment in appa- 

 ratus of capture and outfit shows but little variation — 

 41 per centin 1880 and 38 per centin 1908. The ratio of 

 the capital invested to the value of products has pro- 

 gressively increased, the capital invested in vessels, 

 boats, and apparatus of capture being equivalent to 

 63 per cent of the value of products in 1908, com- 

 pared with 53 per cent in 1880. 



1 Combined statistics for the New England states, South Atlantic states, and Gulf 

 states for 1902; Great Lakes and Mississippi River and its tributaries for 1903; Middle 

 Atlantic states and Pacific coast states for 1904; and minor interior waters for 1900- 

 1903. 



The following table shows the value of products of 

 the specified fisheries for certain years: 



CLASS OP FISHEEIES. 



Total 



General fisheries... 



Oyster fisheries 



Menhaden fisheries 

 Sponge fisheries . . . 

 Whale fisheries 



Total 



General fisheries... 



Oyster fisheries 



Menhaden fisheries 

 Sponge fisheries. . . 

 Whale fisheries 



VALUE OF PRODUCTS. 



1908 1900-1904' 1889 



1880 



$54,031,000 $49,398,000 $42,780,000 $39,885,000 



36,382,000 



15,713,000 



893,000 



545,000 



497,000 



30,101,000 



16,681,000 



1,426,000 



364,000 



824,000 



25, 689, 000 

 13, 294, 000 



1,818,000 

 282,000 



1,698,000 



21,840,000 

 13, 404, 000 



2,117,000 

 201,000 



2,323,000 



PEP. CENT DISTRIBUTION. 



100 



57 

 31 



5 

 1 

 5 



1 Combined statistics for the New England states, South Atlantic states, and 

 Gulf states for 1902; Great Lakes and Mississippi River and its tributaries for 1903; 

 Middle Atlantic states and Pacific coast states for 1904; and minor interior waters 

 for 1900-1903. 



The decline in the value of products of the whale 

 and menhaden fisheries is marked, while large gains 

 are shown for the value of products of the general 

 fisheries and the sponge fisheries. The oyster fish- 

 eries show a general increase in value of products, 

 although a larger value was reported for the period 

 from 1900-1904 than for either 1908 or 1889. 



