458 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
Products of the r/iU-net fisheries of the Middle Atlantic States — Continued. 
Species. 
Delaware. 
Maryland. 
Virginia. 
Total. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
Value . 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
Alewives 
Bluefisli 
335, 100 
$5, 149 
2, 806, 900 
219, 020 
$15, 723 
9, 782 
1, 227, 700 
81,400 
$11,081 
3,069 
5, 592, 840 
1, 264, 670 
4ii, 800 
874, 703 
94, 740 
724, 651 
177, 038 
75, 041 
20, 515, 161 
59, 780 
50 000 
829, 097 
537, 268 
1,985, 856 
63, 120 
786, 373 
$42, 368 
62, 085 
1, 603 
3, 321 
2,801 
30, 808 
10, 982 
0, 617 
824, 930 
7, 985 
2, 599 
38, 096 
47, 737 
47. 039 
2, 205 
21, 849 
Meiibatlen 
Mullet 
Perch 
Pike 
59, 000 
35, 100 
93, 515 
16, 650 
380 
1,011 
6, 902 
960 
451, 000 
50, 640 
424, 804 
150, 893 
1,084 
1, 2.50 
19, 573 
9, 398 
150, 000 
9, 000 
155, 682 
7,595 
350 
540 
5, 644 
458 
Shad. 
Spanish mackerel 
Spots and croakers 
Squeteasue 
striped bass 
Sturgeon 
Suckers 
Other fish 
Total 
1, 382, 330 
28, 560 
23, 530 
45, 070 
1, 304, 800 
5, 050 
14, 120 
57, 418 
1,469 
706 
0, 152 
30, 448 
227 
029 
3, 787, 787 
10, 370 
11, 240 
85, 510 
339, 276 
50, 300 
20, 800 
162, 747 
123, 780 
1, 105 
499 
2,871 
24, 8S1 
1, 390 
520 
6; 232 
2,416, 361 
14, 000 
14, 500 
70. 740 
89, 351 
141, 796 
27. 500 
451, 589 
73, 469 
1,170 
550 
2, 959 
8,385 
4, 697 
793 
11,452 
3,343,425 111,451 
8, 571, 287 
217, 088 
4, 857, 214 
124, 617 
33,082,198 1,159,031 
THE POUND-NET FISHEEIES. 
Pound nets are operated in all the Middle Atlantic States except Pennsylvania. 
The fishery is especially important in the Chesapeake region on account of the number 
of nets used and the large quantities of fish taken, and in New York and New Jersey 
because of the opposition encountered. The extent of the fisheries with ]tound nets 
proper and with the closely related traps and weirs is indicated in the following tables, 
which relate to the year 1891. 
Of the 2,512 persons engaged in these fisheries, 1,304 were in Virginia, 691 in 
Maryland, 261 in New Jersey, 244 in New York, and 12 in Delaware. 
While Maryland had the largest number of nets, many of them were of small size. 
Tlie 1,005 operated were valued at only $71,778, while 941 in Virginia were worth 
$166,990. The 263 nets shown for New York include 90 trap nets oj)erated by vessels — 
a feature Avhich is not observed in any other State. The value of the 1,557 boats used 
was $72,908. Of the total investment of $550,470, Virginia is credited with $232,446, 
New York with $127,620, and Maryland with $102,293. 
These nets took 50,657,120 iiouuds of fish, valued at $888,083. The fishermen of 
Virginia caught 23,851,951 pounds, for which they received $472,689, thus obtaining 
nearly half the quantity and more than half the value of the pound-net yield. In 
Maryland 8,875,190 iiounds were taken, worth $165,423. The output in New York 
was larger, viz, 9,909,828 pounds, but the value was oidy $123,834. The New Jersey 
fishermen took 7,992,260 pounds, for which they received $125,100. The Delaware 
pound nets caught 27,891 iiouuds, worth $1,037. In some of the States small numbers 
of lobster, king crabs, and squid were also taken in the pound nets, but are not shown 
in the table. 
Considering the entire region, the most prominent fish taken in the pound-net 
fisheries is the squeteague or wenkfish. The quantity taken was 6,433,104 pounds, 
valued at $180,995. Shad ranked next in value; of this fish, 4,756,243 pounds were 
taken, for which $162,760 were received. Alewives to the quantity of 13,035,391 
pounds were obtained; these had a value of $105,533. The squeteague was the most 
imx)ortant fish in New York and New Jersey, the alewives were most prominent in 
Maryland, and the shad had first rank in Virginia. 
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