XXIV KEPOET TO THE SECEETAEY OF COMMEECE 



PACIFIC COAST STATES 



In 1928 the fisheries of Washington, Oregon, and California pro- 

 duced 693,484,447 pounds of products, valued at $20,512,772. Com- 

 pared with 1927 this is a gain of 6 per cent in the quantity of the catch 

 and a decrease of 8 per cent in its value. In making the catch 19,733 

 fishermen were employed, which is 4 per cent less than the number 

 employed in 1927. 



In 1929, a good year, the pack of salmon was 92 per cent greater 

 than the previous year, the larger pack of humpback or pink salmon 

 in Puget Sound constituting most of the increase. Compared with 

 1927, the previous "good" year, there was an increase of 8 per cent in 

 the pack. 



The pack of sardines in California was the largest on record, both in 

 ciuantity and value, and amounted to 3,831,215 standard cases valued 

 at $11,996,997, which is an increase of 38 per cent in ciuantity and 24 

 per cent in value, compared with 1928. The production of canned 

 tuna in 1929 was the largest on record and amounted to 1,504,306 

 standard cases valued, at $9,873,453. This is an increase of 24 per 

 cent in quantity and 18 per cent in value over the pack of the 

 previous year. 



The mackerel canning industry in California continued to expand in 

 1929, the production amounting to 592,451 standard cases, valued at 

 $2,428,058. This is an increase of 52 per cent in quantity and 50 per 

 cent in value when compared with the pack during 1928. 



Halibut fishery . — In 1929 the total weight of the catch of halibut as 

 landed by United States and Canadian vessels amounted to 55,490,000 

 pounds, valued at $6,698,000. This is about the same as the amount 

 of the catch in 1928, but a little more than for the years 1925 to 1927. 

 Of the total landings 84 per cent were taken by United States craft 

 and 16 per cent by Canadian craft. 



LAKE STATES 



In 1928 the lake fisheries (Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, 

 Superior, and Namakan, Lake of the Woods, and Rainy Lake) of 

 the United States and Canada produced 92,913,909 pounds of fish. 

 Of the total, the United States accounted for 63,368,467 pounds, valued 

 at $5,960,784. This is the smallest catch on record and the decrease 

 can not be attributed to a decline in the catch of any one species, 

 for practically all show a decline compared with their respective 

 catches for 1927. The catch of ciscoes revealed the most serious 

 decline; that in the United States in 1928 barely exceeding 600,000 

 pounds compared with a catch of about 35,000,000 pounds in 1918. 

 A decrease occurred in the catch of every lake except Ontario. The 

 Canadian catch amounted to 29,545,442 pounds, which is slightly 

 less than the catch in 1927. The declining yields in the lake fisheries 

 should prove an incentive to the various State authorities and the 

 fishermen to promulgate wise conservation measures for preventing 

 further decline in this important resource. 



MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES 



The yield of fresh-water mussel shells in 1929, used in the manu- 

 facture of pearl buttons and novelties, amounted to 54,352,000 

 pounds valued at $1,324,919. This is a decrease of 6 per cent in 



