148 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



cent, was at a rate only one-half as great as that of 

 the decrease in the value of all other fishery products 

 during this period, namely, 17 per cent. The per- 

 centage of the total value of fishery products which 

 was represented by the value of oysters was lower in 

 1908 than in 1904, 1897, or 1880, as is shown by the 

 following tabular statement : 



Of the total oyster product of 1908, 6,076,000 bush- 

 els, valued at $2,142,000, were furnished by public 

 areas. Private areas produced only market oysters, 

 and of these, only 156,000 bushels, valued at $86,000. 

 Private beds were of considerably more importance 

 in 1904, when they were credited with 465,000 bushels, 

 valued at $302,000. No record of the yield of private 

 areas is given for 1897. 



Alewives. — The bulk of the catch of alewives, locally 

 called herring, was reported by the shore and boat 

 fisheries of Chesapeake Bay. The product was larger 

 in 1908 than in any previous year, in both quantity 

 and value, and its relative importance among the fish- 

 ery products of the state was greater. The quantity 

 of alewives sold fresh in 1908 was more than double 

 that in 1897, and the value more than a third higher. 

 Compared with 1904, which was a poor year for this 

 species, the increase shown for 1908 is much greater. 

 The quantity sold salted has steadily decreased. On 

 account of an increase in price, the value for 1908 was 

 in excess of that for 1897, though less than the value 

 reported for 1904. The value of the total alewife catch 

 has increased steadily since 1897, from $123,000 to 

 $157,000 in 1908. The following tabular statement 

 gives the alewife product for the most recent years for 

 which figures are available : 



Crabs. — The heavy increase shown in the crab prod- 

 uct from 1897 to 1904 did not continue up to 1908. 

 Although a gain of nearly 2,000,000 pounds was 

 reported from 1904 to 1908, the value decreased by 

 $39,000. The quantity of crabs marketed in 1908 

 was considerably more than double that in 1897, 

 and the returns to the fishermen were 46 per cent 

 greater. 



Menhaden. — The menhaden catch, though not rela- 

 tively important on the basis of value, is conspicuous 

 for quantity. In 1880 the quantity reported was 

 3,903,000 pounds, valued at $12,000; in 1897, 353,000 

 pounds, valued at $400; in 1904, 9,849,000 pounds, 

 valued at $20,000; and in 1890, 27,969,000 pounds, 

 valued at $57,000. This species has such migratory 

 habits that the catch for any particular year can not 

 be taken as characteristic of the period or locality in 

 question. 



Shad. — The catch of shad has increased considerably 

 since 1904, 3,937,000 pounds being taken in 1908, as 

 compared with 2,912,000 pounds in the former year. 

 The catch in 1897, however, 5,800,000 pounds, was 

 far in excess of those in either of the later years. 

 Scarcity and increasing demand, however, have raised 

 the price, so that while the catch in 1904 was only half 

 that of 1897, its value was a trifle greater, the catch 

 in 1904 being valued at $160,000 and that in 1897 at 

 $159,000. The price has continued to increase, and 

 the 1908 catch was valued at $247,000. 



Squeteague. — The catch of squeteague, or sea trout, 

 reported principally by the Atlantic Ocean fisheries, 

 was larger in 1908 and of greater value than in either 

 1904 or 1897, as is shown by the following tabular 

 statement : 



