190 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



Comparison with previous canvasses. — A compari- 

 son of the general statistics for 1908 with similar items 

 for previous years shows that there has been a marked 

 decline in the magnitude of the industry since 1897, 

 following a gain between 1891 and 1897. Such a com- 

 parison is made in the following tabular statement : 



Persons employed. — The following tabular statement 

 gives statistics as to the persons employed in the fish- 

 eries of New Jersey in 1908: 



1 Exclusive of 75 proprietors not fishing. 



2 Includes provisions furnished to the value of $138,000. 



Of the shoresmen, 82 were employed in the shore and 

 boat fisheries and 4 in the vessel fisheries. Including 

 shoresmen, 4,783 persons were engaged in the shore 

 and boat fisheries and 2,333 in the vessel fisheries. 

 The proprietors and independent fishermen outnum- 

 bered the salaried employees and wage-earners, owing 

 to the preponderance of independent fishermen among 

 those engaged in the shore and boat fisheries. 



Equipment and other capital. — The statistics of cap- 

 ital invested are shown in the next table. 



The value of the vessels and their outfits and boats 

 amounted to $1,100,000 and formed 64 per cent of the 

 total investment. Contrary to the general rule in 

 coast fisheries, both the number and the value of power 

 vessels and boats were greater than those of sail ves- 

 sels and sailboats, there being 1,176 of the former 

 class, valued with their outfits at $849,000, and 1,002 

 of the latter, valued with their outfits at $203,000. Of 

 the total value of craft, including outfit, 60 per cent 

 represented the investment in the vessels of the vessel 

 fisheries; 36 per cent that in the boats of shore and 

 boat fisheries; and 5 per cent that in transporting ves- 

 sels. Of the investment in shore and accessory prop- 

 erty, $164,000 pertained to shore and boat fisheries; 



$34,000 to vessel fisheries; and $2,200 to transporting 

 vessels. The cash reported was as follows: $59,000 

 for shore and boat fisheries; $9,400 for vessel fisheries; 

 and $800 for transporting vessels. The total invest- 

 ment in the shore and boat fisheries was $932,000 and 

 that in the vessel fisheries $727,000. 



Apparatus of capture was valued at $345,000, the 

 greater part of which amount, $318,000, or 92 per cent, 

 is credited to the shore and boat fisheries. The distri- 

 bution of the principal kinds of apparatus of capture 

 reported between the vessel fisheries and the shore 

 and boat fisheries was as follows: 



Products, by species. — Table 1, on page 193, gives the 

 products, by species and apparatus of capture. 



The leading species, named in the order of quantity 

 taken, were oysters, menhaden, squeteague, king 

 crabs, cod, whiting, sea bass, and shad; while named 

 according to value, they were oysters, squeteague, 

 hard clams, shad, cod, and sea bass. 



Products, by class of fisheries. — Table 3, on page 195, 

 gives the statistics of the vessel fisheries, by species 

 and by apparatus of capture; and Table 2, on page 194, 

 gives similar statistics for the shore and boat fisheries. 

 The following tabular statement distributes the total 



