FISHERIES OF THE GULF STATES. 
119 
Products of the vessel and shore fisheries . — In the foregoing discussion of the fish, 
eries by counties the persons and apparatus employed in the vessel and shore fisheries 
were exhibited; it therefore only remains to present the products resulting from each 
of these branches. 
Although the vessel fisheries of Florida are much more extensive than in any 
other Gulf State, they are considerably less important than the shore fisheries. Ves- 
sel fishing is prosecuted from eight counties, but it is relatively important only in 
Monroe and Escambia counties ; in the former the sponge fishery and in the latter the 
red-snapper fishery take precedence. 
In 1890 the vessel catch amounted to 5,287,210 pounds, valued at $427,762, this 
being a substantial increase over the previous year. The most important products of 
the vessel fisheries are sponges (the value of which was $254,737 in 1889 and $283,051 
in 1890) and red snappers (the yield of which was worth $92,259 in 1889 and $115,371 
in 1890). Table 17, which follows, is a detailed exhibition of the products of the ves- 
sel fisheries. 
As shown in Table 18, the yield of the shore fisheries of Florida in 1889 was valued 
at $573,539, and in 1890 at $636,377, the marked advance in the latter year being 
chiefly due to an increase in the sponge and oyster fisheries. The most prominent 
products in 1890 were, in the order of their importance, mullet, worth $204,317 ; 
sponges, worth $155,631; oysters, worth $84,020; pompano, worth $24,597; grunts, 
worth $22,202, and turtles and their products, worth $19,923. Monroe County also 
ranks first in the extent of its shore fisheries, and Escambia County occupies the 
second position. 
17. — Table showing by counties and species the y ield of the vessel fisheries of the west coast of Florida in 1889 
and 1890. 
Species. 
Monroe. 
Manatee. 
Hillsboro. 
1889. 
1890. 
1889. 
1890. 
1889. 
1890. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
V alue. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
V alue. 
800 
1,800 
1,500 
$12 
36 
23 
850 
2, 000 
2, 000 
$13 
40 
30 
50, 700 
51, 500 
$2, 490 
380 
55, 900 
15, 000 
2, 200 
$419 
600 
154 
82, 100 
657 
93, 750 
750 
... 1 ... 
14, 700 
750 
12, 500 
6, 250 
4,100 
686 
11 
188 
281 
82 
18, 100 
800 
.15, 000 
8, 075 
4, 000 
896 
12 
225 
363 
80 
Sailor’s choice, fresh 
Sheeps head, fresh . . . 
Spanish mackerel. 
1, 000 
15 
1, 200 
18 
1 
900 
14 
1, 000 
15 
59, 850 
$2, 386 
7, 875 | $949 
1, 330 
197, 322 
89, 345 
3 
200 
246. 654 
1, 330 
220. 309 
200 
275, 500 
4, 745 
9 
1 
4, 969 84,630 
10 3 
| 
392, 100 
254, 738 
381, 662 
281, 660 
124, 500 
1,976 
144, 575 
2, 409 
59, 850 
2, 386 
7,875 949 
