284 U. S. BUREAU OP FISHERIES 



The production of shellfish amounted to 4,836,242 pounds, valued 

 at $486,194. The item contributing most to the value of the shell- 

 fish was the oyster, of which 442,981 pounds, valued at $310,053, 

 were produced. The razor clam, largely used in canning, amounted 

 to 2,636,351 pounds, valued at $106,905 to the fishermen. The 

 catch of other shellfisli, including hard clams, crabs, shrimp, and octo- 

 pus, amounted to 1,756,910 pounds, valued at $69,236. 



The products of the whale fishery, which is prosecuted by vessels 

 operating from shore stations, amounted to 3,153,125 pounds, valued 

 at $136,343, and consisted largely of oil, scrap, and meal. In 1915 

 whale products amounting to 3,933,125 pounds, valued at $141,441, 

 were reported. 



The counties bordering on Puget Sound support the most important 

 fisheries, producing 49,755,483 pounds, in 1922, valued at $3,810,646. 

 Practically all of the halibut, cod, sablefish, and other marine fishes 

 caught by fishermen of these counties are taken on the banks of the 

 North Pacific Ocean, from the State of Washington north to Alaska. 

 The salmon is fished to a great extent in Puget Sound. 



King County, with the important port of Seattle, is by far the 

 most important in the Puget wSound district as well as in the State. 

 In 1922 there were 1,733 persons engaged, an investment of 

 $3,346,812, and a production of 24,825,865 pounds of fishery prod- 

 ucts, valued at $2,066,694. Based on the value of products, this 

 amounts to over two-fifths of the State's total production and is six 

 times as great as the production of any other county. Halibut was 

 the most important fishery resource, yielding 15,216,793 pounds, 

 valued at $1,576,499; the various species of salmon were next in 

 importance, yielding 7,676,472 pounds, valued at $376,502; while 

 cod, sablefish, and other less important marine products made up 

 the balance of fishery production in this county. 



Whatcom was second to King County in the value of fishery 

 products, yielding 7,228,672 pounds, valued at $486,871, practically 

 all of which consisted of salmon, although quantities of herring, 

 smelts, steelhead trout, and crabs were caught also. Pierce County, 

 with its important port of Tacoma, produced 7,629,580 pounds of 

 fishery products, valued at $479,882. Salmon and halibut were the 

 most valuable of her fishes, though other marine fish, smelts, hard 

 clams, and shrimps were caught in limited quantities also. Thurston 

 County's production of 334,953 pounds, valued at $210,288, con- 

 sisted almost exclusively of oysters,with a few fish, shrimp, and hard 

 clams making up the remainder of the catch. 



Kitsap County produced 3,077,109 pounds of products, valued at 

 $168,795, the major portion of which consisted of salmon and halibut. 

 A few marine fish, smelts, and crabs made up the remainder. Skagit 

 County produced 2,943,424 pounds, valued at $144,452. Salmon 

 was the most important product, although there was a considerable 

 quantity of cod, other fish, and crabs. Island County produced 

 principally salmon, its entire production amounting to 1,835,836 

 pounds, valued at $113,146. Each of the remaining counties border- 

 mg Puget Sound produced less than $100,000 worth of fishery prod- 

 ucts. San Juan and Snohomish Counties produced chiefly salmon, 

 altliough the latter included in its production a goodly quantity of 

 crabs, while Mason County's production consisted almost exclusively 

 of oysters. 



