FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 125 
San Francisco is the headquarters of an important oyster fishery 
prosecuted in San Francisco Bay. This industry, however, has 
suffered a noticeable decline within recent years. In 1904, theoutput 
amounted to 138,667 bushels of eastern oysters, valued at $514,399, 
and 42,932 bushels of native oysters, valued at $91,770. In 1915 
the output had dwindled to 51,556 bushels of eastern oysters, valued 
at $156,745. Nonative oysters have been taken from San Francisco 
Bay forseveral years, the result being that most of those now consumed 
have to be brought from Washington, the price being very much 
greater than formerly, when there was a local supply. 
A small quantity of soft clams are taken from the flats of San 
Francisco Bay near San Francisco by fishermen from that city. In 
1915 the output was 2,300 bushels, with a value of $5,300, a decline 
of 914 bushels since 1904, but an increase in value of $1,550. The 
clams are handled mostly by Chinese dealers, and many of the 
fishermen are also Chinese. 
Mussels to the amount of 600 bushels, with a value of $1,200, were 
scraped from the pilings of the city wharves and disposed of for food. 
Contra Costa County.—The fishery products of this county in 1915 
amounted to 7,395,328 pounds, valued at $229,550. The most im- 
portant species were chinook salmon, striped bass, and shad. <A few 
other species were taken in small quantities. Most of the fishing was 
done in Suisun and San Pablo Bays and the Sacramento River. A 
little fishing was also done in San Francisco Bay and San Joaquin 
River. With the exception of a few seines used mainly for carp and 
smelt, gill nets are the only apparatus used in this county. Pittsburg 
is the most important fishing center, not only in this county, but on 
the entire Sacramento River. In 1915 a total of 305 fishermen and 
5 shoremen were engaged in this town, almost all of whom were 
Italians. These men employed 100 sailboats, valued at $13,000; 
51 gas boats, valued at $29,000; and 8 house boats, worth $1,600. 
Gill nets were the only form of apparatus used. This town in 1915 
was the center of an important canning trade in shad, shad roe, and 
chinook salmon. In addition, immense quantities of shad were 
salted and mild cured, and large supplies of chinook salmon were 
mild cured and pickled. Most of the salted shad were sent to China. 
During this year the first shipments east of shad in large quantities 
were begun. They were sent by express in refrigerator cars. The 
consignments were made in carload lots, and were sent mostly to 
Chicago and New York. The first large shipments of shad to the 
east were made in 1914. 
One-half or more of the fishermen of this town yearly make a 
practice of going to Alaska to fish under contract for one of the 
salmon-canning firms of that territory. They usually leave Pitts- 
burg between April 1 and 15 and remain away about five months. 
The trip is made on one of the companies’ steamers from San 
Francisco. 
Martinez, also in Contra Costa County, has very important gill- 
net fisheries, the catch in 1915 amounting to 672,000 pounds of 
striped bass, valued at $57,120; 414,000 pounds of chinook salmon, 
valued at $21,390; and 153,355 pounds of shad, valued at $2,300. 
A total of 105 men were engaged in fishing and 7 in transport- 
ing fish. These men employed 22 gas boats, valued at $10,200; 34 
