160 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
THE SHORE FISHERIES. 
The shore fisheries of Rhode Island surpass the vessel fisheries in the items of 
persons employed and products, but represent less capital. They rank third in im- 
portance among the shore fisheries of New England, exceeding in value those of Con- 
necticut and New Hampshire. The specially prominent feature of this branch is the 
pound-net and trap-net fishery, which reaches large proportions. 
Shore fishing is prosecuted from every county in the State, but is most important 
in Newport County, in which 352 of the 896 shore fishermen are employed. Washing- 
ton County has 205 fishermen, Kent County 146, Providence County 118, and Bristol 
75. Newport County also leads in the amount of capital invested, the other counties 
being in about the above order. 
In the item of products and value, Newport County takes higher rank than in per- 
sons engaged and capital invested. In 1889, the shore fisheries of the county were 
credited with yielding 8,605,559 pounds, valued at $199,249, while the catch for all 
counties was only 13,584,852 pounds, worth $536,834. The most important species in 
this county are seup, mackerel, bluefish, squeteague, and lobsters, in which the county 
ranks first. Providence County comes next with 787,120 pounds, valued at $128,215, 
of which 588,595 pounds, worth $112,599, represent oysters, in the output of which 
this county takes the first position. Washington County has a greater variety of 
water products than any county except Newport and yields a much larger quantity 
than Providence, although the value is considerably less ; iu 1889 3,116,200 pounds 
were taken, for which the fishermen received $75,951; the principal species in the 
county are alewives, butter-fish, eels, scup, flatfish, and flounders, in the catch of some 
of which the county leads all others. Bristol County, which has an unimportant net 
fishery, ranks second in the extent of its shore oyster fishery, which represents $73,111, 
while fish proper are worth only $965. The shore fisheries of Kent County are of less 
magnitude than those of the other counties, although the clam fishery is more impor- 
tant than elsewhere and the scallop fishery is followed only in this county. 
The extent of the shore fisheries of each county is shown in the three tables which 
follow : 
102. — Table showing by counties the number of persons engaged in the shore fisheries of lihode Island in 1889. 
Counties. 
No. 
205 
146 
118 
75 
352 
Washington .... 
Kent 
Providence 
Bristol 
Newport 
Total 
896 
