REPORT OF THE COMMISSIOXER OF FISHERIES. 3S 



Hecate Strait. The products included 12.683,-1:50 pounds of halibut, 

 valued at $1,913,849: 950.200 pounds of sablefish. valued at $49,963; 

 513.035 pounds of *' lingcod," valued at $21,153: and 208,765 pounds 

 of rockfishes, valued at $7,794. Compared with the previous year, 

 there was an increase of 152 trips landed and an increase of 704,430 

 pounds, or 5,16 per cent, in tlie quantity, and of $462,475, or 30.22 

 per cent, in the value of the products. The yield of halibut increased 

 1,572,730 pounds, or 14.15 per cent, and $491,330, or 34.53 per cent, 

 but there was a decrease in the c:itch of other species. Sablefish. for 

 which there was an au<rmented demand durinir the war period, de- 

 creased 603.400 pounds, or 38.83 per cent, and $24,327, or 32.74 per 

 cent: "lingcod" decreased 209.965 pounds, or 29.04 per cent, and 

 $3,280, or 13.42 per cent : and rockfishes decreased 54,935 pounds, 

 or 20.83 per cent, and Si. 248, or 13.80 per cent. 



The fishery products taken in Puget Sound and landed at Seattle 

 by collecting: vessels durins: the vear air£rre<rated T).813,966 pounds, 

 valued at $881,066. This quantity inchided 7.911,820 pounds of 

 salmon, valued at $765,145, and the remainder consisted of hprrinfj, 

 steelhead tiout, smelt, rorl^fishes. flounders, crabs, and other species. 

 Compared willi tlie previous year, there was a net decrease in tho 

 products hinded Ity collectin'r vessels of 1,995.484 pounds, or 16.89 

 per cent, and $102,753. or 10.44 per cent, which tiecline was due to 

 a large falling off in the catcli of salmon. The decrease in salmon 

 was, however, off.set to some extent In' a considerable increase in 

 various less important species. 



SHAD FISHEKY OF THE HUDSON lUVElJ. 



Figures gathered in a special canvass of the shad fishery of the 

 Hudson l?iver for 192') indicated a reduction in tlie number of shad 

 taken amounting to 40.986, or 45.38 per cent, and a diminished reve- 

 nue to tlie fishermen amounting to $27,415, or 32,74 per cent, com- 

 pared with the season of 1919. The persons engaged in this fishery 

 numbered 3()8, an increase of 69 over the previous year. The equip- 

 ment included 185 i-owboats. valued at $10,011; 10 ga.soline boats, 

 valued at $2,050: 200 gill nets, valued at $23,710; 10 seines, valued 

 at $1,655: and shore and acces.sory property valued at $2,925, the 

 total investment Ix'ing $40,351. 



The catch compiised 49.315 fish, or 199,844 pounds, valued at 

 $56,309, of which 39,692 fi.^h, or 157,715 p(mnds, valued at $43,882, 

 were taken on the New York side of the river, and 9,623 shad, or 

 42,129 pounds, valued at $12,427, were taken on the New Jersey side. 

 The possibility of reestablishing a run of shad on a considerable 

 .scale in this river is still a matter of conjecture. 



Sir.\D AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POT(»MAC RIVER. 



The shacl fishery of the Potomar Piver is of sj)ecial intej-ost to the 

 Bureau owing to the long continuance of shad hatching operations 

 thereon and the very active fishing that has been conducted in Chesa- 

 peake Bay. Statistics for the .season of 1920 showed a catch of 

 529,358 shad, weighing 1.979,780 pounds, valued at $334,464. The 



