448 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Bureau agents are stationed at Seattle, Wash., and Terminal Island, 

 Calif., who survey the fisheries of the Pacific Coast States. As a 

 rule they obtain figures on the volume of the catch from the records 

 of the several State fishery agencies. In most cases the value of the 

 catch is derived from dealers' records and sometimes from estimates 

 of prices. In Washington and Oregon the offshore fisheries are 

 surveyed separately by the Bureau's agent to obtain data on the 

 number of operating units, catch, and value of the catch. Statistics 

 of the wholesale fishery industry for this section are obtained largely by 

 personal interviews of the agents. 



In the administration of the Alaska fisheries the Bureau obtains 

 sworn statements concerning their activities from those prosecuting 

 the fisheries in this area. These statements are compiled by the 

 Alaska Division of this Bureau. 



Statistics of the volume of the catch of fish of the Pacific Coast 

 and Great Lakes States are usually shown in weights as landed, which 

 may be in the round or dressed condition. Statistics on the volume 

 of the catch of fish taken in the remainder of the United States are 

 shown in round weight. 



The figures in the tables for shellfish represent the weight of the 

 meats in the case of univalve and bivalve mollusks and gastropods, 

 and the round weight of crustaceans and such mollusks as squid and 

 octopus. 



Shore and vessel fisheries. — In general, statistics of the shore fisheries, 

 as collected by the agents, include data on the number of casual and 

 regular fishermen; number of motor and other fishing boats and 

 accessory boats; kind and quantity of gear used, and the volume, 

 value, and method of capture of each species caught by boats (for 

 our purpose craft of less than 5 net tons capacity are called "boats") 

 for each locality or group of localities. This method is not followed 

 in some sections where the availability of data collected by the 

 State fishery agencies obviates the necessity of detailed locality 

 surveys. 



Statistics of the vessel fisheries include data on the number of the 

 crew, rig of vessels, net tonnage, kind and quantity of gear used, 

 accessory boats carried, and volume, value, and method of capture 

 of each species caught by each vessel (for our purpose craft of 5 net 

 tons' capacity or more are called "vessels"). As in the shore fisheries, 

 the availability of figures collected by State fishery agencies may 

 eliminate the necessity of our agents collecting these data for each 

 vessel. 



All persons engaged in commercial fishing operations are included 

 as fishermen. For our purpose these have been divided into "regu- 

 lar" and "casual" fishermen. Regular fishermen are those who 

 receive more than one-half of their annual income from fishing; and 

 casual fishermen are those whose principal business is something 

 other than fishing, and who receive less than one-half of their annual 

 compensation from fishing. 



The catch of fish is credited to the principal port of arrival and 

 departure of the craft rather than its point of ownership, registration, 

 documentation, or its port of landing. This accounts for catches 

 of fish being shown in areas where they are not common, since fishing 

 vessels frequently fish in areas far from their principal fishing port. 



