14 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



coast from Oregon to Alaska. The lai^est quantities were taken 

 from Grays Harbor grounds, Flattery Banks, west coast of Van- 

 couver Island, Hecate Strait, and Yakutat grounds. The products 

 included halibut, 11,110,720 pounds, valued at $1,422,519; sablefish, 

 1,553,600 pounds, valued at $74,290; " lingcod," 723,000 pounds, 

 valued at $24,433; and rockfishes, 263,700 pounds, valued at $9,042. 

 Compared with the previous year there was a decrease of 164 trips 

 by fishing vessels, and of 20.13 per cent in the quantity and 18.93 

 per cent in the value of the products. The catch of halibut increased 

 8.46 per cent in quantity, but decreased 6.95 per cent in value. There 

 was a large falling off in the catch of sablefish, " lingcod," and rock- 

 fishes, owing chiefly to a smaller demand than in the previous year. 



The fishery products taken in Puget Sound and tributary waters 

 and landed by collecting vessels during the year amounted to 11,- 

 809,450 pounds, valued at $983,819. This quantity included 10,- 

 387,703 pounds of salmon, valued at $902,717, and the remainder 

 consisted of steelhead, pilchard, smelt, rockfishes, cod, flounders, 

 crabs, and other species. Compared wdth the previous year, there 

 was an increase in the products landed by collecting vessels of 11.35 

 per cent in quantity and 7.80 per cent in value. 



SHAD FISHERY OF THE HUDSON RIVER. 



According to a special canvass conducted by the Bureau, consid- 

 erable improvement in the shad fishery of the Hudson River in 1919 

 is to be reported. The number of fish taken in recent years was as 

 follows: 1915— 15,855, value $8,643; 1916—9,287, value $5,465; 1917— 

 12,015, value $6,540; 1918—67,403, value $48,184; and 1919—90,301, 

 value $83,724. In 1919 there were 299 men engaged in the fishery, 

 employing 158 boats representing a value of $6,700 ; 373 gill nets with 

 a value of $15,269; 12 seines, valued at $1,700, and shore and accessory 

 property valued at $7,920 ; a total investment of $31,589. The catch 

 of 90,301 fish weighed 374,974 pounds, of which 76,501 shad or 301,306 

 pounds, valued at $60,690, were taken on the New York side of the 

 river and 13,800 fish or 73,668 pounds, valued at $23,034, on the 

 New Jersey side. 



The Bureau plans to continue taking a yearly canvass of this 

 fishery of the Hudson River where, in the absence of fish-cultural 

 operations, dependence for the rehabilitation of the fishery rests on 

 natural production and local protective measures. 



SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER. 



The Bureau has undertaken a yearly canvass of the shad fishery 

 and the closely associated alewife or river-herring fishery of the 

 Potomac River, a river in which extensive shad-cultural operations 

 are being conducted. In 1919 the number of persons engaged was 

 789, employing 514 boats, valued at $80,685; using 306 pound nets, 

 valued at $159,810; and 267 gill nets and one haul seine, valued at 

 $26,761. The shore and accessory propert}^ was valued at $610, and 

 the total investment Avas $267,866. The number of shad taken was 

 644,469, or 2,040,473 pounds, valued at $332,397. The number of 

 alewives taken was 8,867,902, or 3,676,921 pounds, valued at $61,016. 



