The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-05-01
MAINRs FISHERY INDUSTRY.
Census Bureau Statistics on It's Extent
and Value.

Census Bureau Statistics on It's Extent
and Value.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 29.-The
census bureau publishes to-day summary OF
the statistics of the sea fisheries of Maine, pre-
pared by R. Edward Earll Of the fish commits
sion, special agent. In his letter transmitting
the statistics to Prof. Goode, special agent in
charge of the fishery investigation, Mr.. Earll
says: From an examination OF the tables, it is
found that, if the oyster industry be neglected,
Maine ranks second only to Massachusetts, in the
extent and value of her sea fisheries. The
following figures show the extent of the fish
ing interests of the state, in SO far as they re-
late to the sea fisheries: Persons employed, !,
11,071; vessels employed, 606; tonnage of
same l, ,763, ,265; fishing boats, 800; capital de-
pendent on the fishery industries, $3.50 1894;
pounds of sea products as they come from the
water, 202, ,048, ,449; value of sea products as
they come from the water, $l,790,o $40; pounds
Of sea products after being prepared for the
market, 116,122,04S; enhancement OF value
in process of preparation, 81 $685. value
of sea products in marketable condition, $3.-
614, ITS. A similar statement for the river fish
cries, as shown by Mr.. Atkins, would be: Per-
$78,3O8; pounds of fish as they come from the
water, 4, ,730, ,244; pounds of fish in marketable
condition, 3, 1884, 180; value of river products as
sold $125 ,046. By combining the tables of the
sea and river fisheries we have the following
totals for the fishery interests OF the state: Per-
sons employed, 12, ,662 capital invested, SO, ,454-
3O2; pounds of fishery products as they come
from the water, 206, IT'S, ,693; pounds of fishery
products in marketable condition, lis, ,916 ,22S;
value of fishery product in marketable condition
$3,739, ,224 The 1862 persons are all that can
be considered as actually engaged in the fisheries
or in the preparation of fishery products, and
hence are the only ones included in the
tables, but in addition, a large number are en-
gagged in transporting the products to the larg-
er markets, in building and repairing fishing
vessels, making and repairing sails, manufac-
turing boxes, barrels and cans for packing the
catch. This class should be considered if we
are to have correct impression OF tho fishing
interests of the State. A rough estimate would
place the number of persons employed in this
way at 2500, making total of over $4,000 di-
rectly and indirectly engaged in the work. AS
suming that 5000 of these have families averag-
ing four persons Ia wife and three children) de-
pending upon them, and that 5000 OF the re-
mainder are persons largely dependent upon
their own resources, we have total OF about
as, 600 people, equal to about 7a per cent of the
total population of the State, deriving consid-
erabe portion of their support from the fishery
industries. 1t should not be forgotten, howev-
or, that many of the fishermen mentioned
above are not wholly dependent upon the fish
cries for livelihood. Some Of them have small
farms, from which they derive considerable
income, while others "ship' on the coasting
vessels or find employment as mechanics or la
borers on shore during those months when the
fisheries cannot be advantageously prosecuted
This is especially true of the river fishermen,
who as rule fish only for few weeks or
months during the height of the season, after
which they return to their farms or their shops.
The value of the fishery products in marketa-
bic condition is shown to be $3739,224 This is
as far as accurate statistics will warrant us in
going, but it must not be forgotten that the
cost Of the products to the consumer is greatly
| increased in various ways, chief among which
| are the transportation charges and the profits
| of the various middlemen who handle them A
| low estimate of the increase from these sources
would be $3,000,000. which, added to the origi-
nal value of the fish, would show cost to the
consumer of nearly S6,750,000.