8 -REPORT ON THE FISHERIES OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC STATES. 
INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 
The accompanying report on the fisheries and fishery industries of the South At- 
lantic States is one of a series of special papers, some already published and others in 
course of preparation, relating to the economic fisheries of each geographical division 
of the coast States and emanating from the Division of Fisheries of the U. S. Fish 
Commission. 
The article is based on a thorough investigation of the commercial fisheries of 
the region carried on by the field agents of the office during the years 1890 and 1891. 
The fisheries of not only the coastal waters of the section are included in the paper, 
but also those of the rivers emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, most of which were 
canva ssed in their entirety. The scope of the report and the form of presentation 
make it the most detailed and complete statistical account thus far prepared ou the 
fisheries of the South Atlantic States, and will, it is hoped, render it especially interest- 
ing and valuable for reference to those having a practical connection with the fishing 
industry as well as of general utility to those dealing with economic questions in the 
several States. 
While there are certain branches of the fisheries in which the South Atlantic 
States take precedence, the industry, as a whole, is less important than in any other 
coast section. The report shows that in 1890 the number of persons here engaged in 
the fisheries was 10,001, the amount of capital invested was $1,688,286, and the first 
value of the products was $1,573,704. The shad is by far the most important single 
object of capture, after which come oysters, alewives, and mullet. The value of these 
four items is $1,036,285, a sum twice as large as that accruing from the sale of all the 
other products combined. 
It is known that the fisheries of this region are capable of a much greater develop- 
ment than they have yet attained. The resources of the offshore banks, the littoral 
waters, and the lower courses of the rivers invite attention. It is probable that the 
most marked advance in the industry will occur as a result of the utilization of the 
facilities offered for the cultivation of oysters. In all these States the oyster has already 
received more or less attention from legislatures, local economists, capitalists, and the 
general government; and it seems only a question of a few years, under proper 
encouragement and methods, when the vast resources in the line of oyster production 
will be demonstrated. 
The report has been prepared by Dr. Hugh M. Smith, acting assistant in charge 
of the Division of Fisheries. In the elaboration of the material he has had the assist- 
269 
