96 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
be practicable, such as the use of a small seine, as in the herring weir fishery in Maine, 
or the arrangement of the bowl so that it may be raised and lowered by means of pul- 
leys. A false bottom of wire or twine would also be used. The employment of 
hollow galvanized iron stakes instead of wooden poles is entirely feasible as a protec- 
tion from the teredo and would ultimately be the more economical practice. 
It may be stated here that one of the reasons why gill nets are not more exten- 
sively used in this section is the abundance of crabs, garfish, and numerous other 
species which do no great direct injury to the nets, but are always present to attack 
and destroy the fish that are gilled. 
The importance of the various devices employed in the fisheries of this region, as 
determined by the value of the products taken, is shown in Table 1. The catch in 
seines was valued at $658,764; with lines, at $289,209; in gill nets and trammel nets, 
$219,333; in cast nets and dip nets, $23,286; and with miscellaneous apparatus, as 
tongs, spears, sponge hooks, etc., at $1,248,083. 
1. — Table showing by States the value of the fish and other aquatic products taken with each principal form 
of apparatus in 1890. 
States. 
Seines. 
Lines. 
Gill nets 
and tram- 
mel nets. 
Cast nets 
and dip 
nets. 
Miscella- 
neous ap- 
paratus. 
Total. 
$149, 004 
24, 090 
68, 793 
259, 065 
157, 812 
$194, 036 
3,095 
249 
78, 139 
13, 690 
$183, 686 
18. 862 
9, 185 
$3, 298 
1, 012 
800 
14, 636 
3, 540 
$534, 115 
107, 812 
166, 672 
308, 294 
131, 190 
$1, 064, 139 
154, 871 
245, 699 
660, 134 
313, 832 
7,600 
658, 764 
289, 209 
219, 333 
23, 286 
1, 248, 083 
2, 438, 675 
The vessels . — The following table shows by States, rigs, tonnage, etc., the sta- 
tistics of the vessels employed in the Gulf fisheries. In some respects the fishing fleet 
of this region differs from that employed in other sections of the United States, although 
it is true that here, as elsewhere, schooners are more universally employed in the 
fisheries than any other class, and in Florida a large number of the fleet are northern- 
built craft. This applies more particularly to the vessels employed in the red-snapper 
and grouper fisheries, which are generally typical New England schooners, though 
usually of comparatively small size. But while these are generally deep-keel vessels, 
the greater number of the schooners employed in the oyster and sponge fisheries are 
shallow, center-board craft, many of them being built in this region for the special 
trade in which they are employed. 
Steam has not yet become an important factor in the fisheries of this region. In 
Florida it has recently been employed to a limited extent, two small steamers being 
used chiefly for transporting the catch of fishing gangs to market. Two steamers are 
employed for a similar purpose in Louisiana and one in Texas. 
The sloop rig is still in favor for sailing vessels of comparatively small tonnage. 
These sloops are mostly wide, shallow, center-board vessels; and it may be remarked 
that the general character of the coast necessitates the employment of craft with light 
draft. This is emphasized by the recent employment of large sharpies about Tampa, 
Florida, averaging 7 or 8 tons burden. 
The Gulf region is remarkable for the employment of a large number of small lug- 
rigged vessels of about 7 tons register. These are mostly found in Louisiana, which 
