PACIFIC COAST FISHERIES. 



147 



Summary of the salmon-canning industry of the Pacific Coast of the United States in 1892. 



CALIFORNIA. 

 GENERAL IMPORTANCE AND EXTENT OF THE INDUSTRY. 



The tisberies of California are more important and varied than those 

 of any other west coast State, as determined by the products taken. 

 Considering the entire country, the rank of California as a fishing State 

 is sixth; in the value of its i)roducts it is surpassed only by Massachu- 

 setts, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and New Jersey. The growth of 

 the industry of late years has been marked, and tbe near future will 

 doubtless witness au advance in the relative position of California at 

 the expenseof several of the east coast States named. The possibilities 

 for the development of the inshore and offshore market fisheries and 

 of other branches are believed to be great. 



The special products which give to California the important rank it 

 now occuxjies are oysters, shrimp, crabs, whales, fur seals, and the 

 general food-fishes of the coast; in the yield of all these it surpasses the 

 other States of this region. The salmon catch, while large as compared 

 with the other products of the State, is insignificant when the remainder 

 of the region is considered. The State owes much of its prominence in 

 this connection to the extenmve ofishore vessel fisheries carried on for 

 whales, cod, fur seals, etc., a branch of the industry which is of very 

 small extent elsewhere on this coast. 



The extent of the fisheries of this State in 1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892 

 is shown in the following tables, which relate, respectively, to persons 

 employed, capital invested, and products taken: 



Persons employed in the fisheries of California. 



