202 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



The entire catch with dip nets was reported by the 

 shore and boat fisheries. Statistics as to the value 

 of the catch, by species, are given in the following tabu- 

 lar statement: 



■ Less than $100. 



Principal species. — Table 9, on page 209, gives the 

 quantity and value of the principal fishery products 

 for 1908 in comparison with the figures for former 

 years for which returns are available. The five leading 

 species, ranked according to value in the respective 

 years, were as follows: 



Oysters and clams appear among the five leading 

 species for each of the four years ; menhaden and blue- 

 fish for three of the years ; squeteague and shad for two 

 years; and flounders and sturgeon for one year each. 



Oysters. — In 1904 New York ranked first among the 

 states in the value of its oyster product, but in 1908 it 

 held second place, Connecticut ranking first. Although 

 the yield was less than two-thirds the quantity reported 



for Connecticut, and less than half of that for either 

 Maryland or Virginia, the average price per bushel re- 

 ceived by the fishermen was considerably higher. Sta- 

 tistics of oysters taken from New York beds by Con- 

 necticut fishermen are given on page 93. The tabular 

 statement at the foot of this page shows for 1908 the 

 distribution of the quantity and the value of market 

 and seed oysters taken from public and private areas 

 of the state according to the waters from which such 

 products were taken. Of the total yield, 95 per cent, 

 with a value equal to 98 per cent of the total value, 

 was taken from private areas. 



Statistics of the oyster catch of New York are avail- 

 able for nine different years between 1880 and 1908. 

 The following tabular statement gives the amount and 

 value of the yield and the average price per bushel for 

 such years: 



The average catch for the nine years was 2,265,000 

 bushels, the average value 12,362,000, and the average 

 value per bushel $1.04. As compared with these aver- 

 ages the report for 1908 shows increases of 198,000 

 bushels in quantity and $191,000 in value, but no 

 change in the average value per bushel. Detailed 

 statistics for the oyster product for 1908 are given in 

 the following tabular statement: 



1 Less than 1 per cent. 



