REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CXXXVII 



FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC STATES. 



A general canvass of the important commercial fislieries of this 

 region, begun in May, 189G, was completed in February, 1897. Mr. 

 W. A. Wilcox, the agent making the investigation, visited every fishing 

 community in the coast regions and rivers (except remote points in their 

 headwaters), and obtained statistical and other data which are embodied 

 in an appendix to the report for 1896. The inquiry related chiefly to the 

 calendar year 1895, but embraced a notice of the changes in the various 

 branches of the fishing industry since the time of the last canvass, in 1892. 



The extent of the industry, as determined by this investigation, is 

 shown in the following tables. It appears that in 1895, 17,305 persons 

 were engaged in various branches of the fisheries in California, Oregon, 

 and Washington. Of these, over 2,000 were employed on vessels, about 

 11,500 in shore and boat fisheries, and 3,800 in canneries, fish-houses, etc. 

 The investment in the fishing industry amounted to about $7,275,000, of 

 which $1,380,000 represented vessels and their outfits, $505,000 boats, 

 about $1,300,000 apparatus of capture, and over $4,000,000 the shore 

 property and cash capital. The first value of products was $4,470,000, 

 representing over 147,000,000 pounds of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc. 

 The leading fishery product was the chinook salmon, of which 38,392,000 

 pounds, valued at $1,082,000, were taken. The next in importance is 

 the oyster, the product being valued at $650,000. 



Persons employed in the fishing industry of the Pacific States in 1S95. 



Vessels, boats, apparatus, shore property, and cash capital employed in the fisheries of tht 



Pacific States in 1S93, 



