FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



105 



156 per cent in value. The value of the products of 

 this fishery has increased remarkably, having been 

 only $20,000 in 1880 and only $42,000 in 1890. In 

 value of the shad catch in 1908 Florida was surpassed 

 only by Virginia and North Carolina, although in 

 respect to quantity Maryland and New Jersey ranked 

 ahead of it. The entire catch was made in the shore 

 and boat fisheries with gill nets and seines. 



Oysters. — In respect to the value of products the 

 oyster fishery of Florida holds fifth place among the 

 fisheries of the state. The total product in 1908 was 

 1,067,000 bushels, valued at $296,000, or 9 per cent of, 

 . the total value of the fishery products of the state. 

 About one-third of the value of the products was 

 reported from the Atlantic coast waters and the 

 remainder from the Gulf waters. The oyster fishery 

 was conducted principally by the shore and boat fish- 

 eries, which reported 97 per cent of the total value 

 of the oyster product. Compared with 1902 the 

 product of Florida shows a decrease of 737,000 bushels, 

 or 41 per cent, in quantity, and of $69,000, or 19 per 

 cent, in value. It is noteworthy that this decrease 

 has taken place entirely in the Atlantic coast district, 

 where the value of the oyster catch decreased from 

 $220,000 in 1902 to $109,000 in 1908, while on the 

 Gulf coast there was an increase from $124,000 in 1902 

 to $187,000 in 1908. 



Squeteague. — The squeteague, or sea trout, ranks 

 next to the oyster in respect to value of product. In 

 1908, 4,864,000 pounds of this fish, having a value of 

 $196,000, were caught, as compared with only 2,757,000 

 pounds, having a value of $73,000, in 1902. About 

 two-thirds of the catch was taken in the Atlantic coast 

 fisheries, and practically all in the shore and boat fish- 



eries. The catch was made principally with gill nets 

 and seines. The product includes 54,000 pounds 

 reported as sold salted. 



Alligators. — Among the important fishery indus- 

 tries of Florida, though the value of the product is 

 comparatively small, is the alligator industry. About 

 three-fourths of all the alligators killed in the United 

 States in 1908 were killed in Florida, the product 

 aggregating 51,000 hides, valued $48,000. This rep- 

 resents a large increase over 1902, when only 31,000 

 hides, valued at $18,000, were secured. No data are 

 given for this industry in the 1880 report of the Bureau 

 of Fisheries. In the 1890 report it was estimated that 

 not less than 2,500,000 alligators were killed between 

 1880 and 1890, and it was stated that the numbers 

 had been greatly reduced because of the nonmigratory 

 habits and the remarkably slow growth of the animal, 

 and because of the killing of many alligators before 

 they had reached the reproductive age. The product 

 of the Gulf coast alone in 1890 was 49,000 alligator 

 hides, valued at $35,000, and 84,000 alligator feet, 

 valued at $4,200. No data were compiled by the 

 Bureau of Fisheries for the Atlantic coast. In 1908 

 hides valued at $27,000, or 56 per cent of the total 

 value of alligator products, were secured from the 

 Gulf coast rivers, and hides valued at $21,000 from 

 the Atlantic coast rivers. 



Otters. — The otter-skin product of the state is a 

 substantial one and in 1908 formed more than two- 

 thirds of the otter-skin catch of the entire country. 

 The total for the state was 2,900 skins, having a value 

 of $21,000, compared with 3,300 skins, having a value 

 of $18,0.00, in 1902. Thus, while the quantity de- 

 creased, the value increased. 



