FISHERIES OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 
4G1 
THE LINE FISHERIES. 
lu considering the most primitive means of capture employed in the commercial 
fisheries of the Middle Atlantic region, it is interesting to observe that lines yield 
larger money returns than jmuud nets, althougli the quantity of fish taken is only 
half that obtained with pound nets. In New York and New Jersey, in which the 
X)Ound-net fishery has received most attention from anglers and the general public, 
the value of the line catch is more than three times as great as the output of pound 
nets, and the quantity of fish thus taken in the year 1891 was over 3,000,000 xiounds 
more. 
Line fishing was followed in 1891 by 4,6(]9 xieoxile. More than one-third of these 
were emxdoyed in New Jersey, whose line fisheries for bluefish, sea bass, cod, flounders, 
and squeteague are veiy extensive. 
The x>rominent feature of this fishery in New Jersey is the imx)ortaut oxierations 
carried on from small boats, while in New York there is a considerable fleet of fine 
vessels engaged in the line fisheries. Vessel fishing is also relatively inqiortant in 
Pennsylvania, but in the other States only the boat fishery has any xu’ominence. The 
aggregate amount of money invested in this fisheiy in 1891 was $386,403, of which New 
York and New Jersey had $309,205. 
The line catch in the entire region was 26,183,021 x>ounds, valued at $1,003,096. 
The line fishermen of New Jersey took 14,254,026 xiouuds, having a value of $543,687. 
These figures include 6,752,447 x'ounds of bluefish, worth $242,232, and 3,092,850 
Xiounds of sea bass, worth $146,236, both of which fish are here secured in larger 
quantities with lines than in any other State. Cod, flounders, and squeteague are 
also obtained in inqiortant quantities in the line fisheries of New Jersey. The x^’o- 
fessional line fishermen of New York took 6,656,605 x)ounds of fish, for which they 
received $276,979, bluefish constituting 3,372,030 x«HiTds, valued at $141,336, and 
cod 2,277,458 xiounds, valued at $89,921. In Pennsylvania most of the line catch is 
made ux> of sea bass, in Maryland catfish and squeteague are the more x>i’ominent 
fishes, and in Virginia catfish, squeteague, sxiots, and croakers constitute most of the 
yield. 
There is in all the coastal States of this region, more especially in New York and 
New Jersey, an enormous quantity of fish taken by anglers, of Avhich no record can 
be obtained. The fish thus taken in largest quantities are bluefish. squeteague, sea 
bass, flounders, and xierch. 
Persons, vessels, hoais, apparalus, and shore property employed in the line fisheries of the Middle 
Atlantic States. 
States. 
No. of 
persons. 
Value of 
lines. 
Vessels. 
Boats. 
Shore 
property. 
Total 
invest. 
ment. 
No. 
Value. 
Value of 
outfit. 
Xo. 
Value. 
New York 
1, 1C6 
$11, 745 
43 
$100, 325 
$48. 101 
394 
$30. 875 
$3, 420 
$194, 466 
New Jersey 
1, 939 
5, 178 
12 
18, 200 
4, 746 
986 
64,130 
22, 485 
114, 739 
Pennsylvauia . . 
488 
633 
9 
15. U75 
8,710 
206 
3, 237 
160 
27, 815 
46 
20 
26 
680 
85 
785 
762 
2 272 
524 
14, 623 
3 680 
20, 575 
Virginia 
1,208 
3j62 
0 
3, 240 
020 
1, 113 
16^ 426 
4,275 
28i 023 
Total 
5, 609 
23,310 
66 
130, 840 
62, 177 
3, 249 
129, 971 
34, 105 
386, 403 
