198 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



making four steam vessels then in the market fishery. Some of these 

 steamers are continually engaged in the fishing business, and at most 

 times all four of them are. They leave the fishing dock early every 

 morning, except Saturday, which is their day of rest, made so from the 

 next day being Sunday, in whicli they could not dispose of their catch, 

 as they return in the evening of the same day they leave. The steamers 

 leave the fishing dock and soon pass out through the (lolden Gate; 

 turning north, a run of a few hours brings them to their usual fishing- 

 grounds in Drake Bay, where the paranzella or drag net is soon in the 

 water, and the steamer slowly drags it along the bottom until it is 

 thought best to reel it in, empty tlie catch, and repeat the operation. 



The steamer's crew consists of captain, engineer, fireman, and four 

 to six fishermen, who are hired by the mouth. 



The catch consists mostly of flounders and the numerous varieties of 

 flatfish, with a small amount of many other kinds of bottom fish, some 

 of which are saved and others thrown overboard quite likely to be 

 recaught the following day, as nearly the same fishing-ground is gone 

 over day after day, and generally the catch is equally good. 



One good result of the use of steamers is that the catch can always 

 be landed fresh and only a few hours at most from the time the fish 

 were freely swimming in the ocean. 



The many varieties of salt-water fish caught by the market fisher- 

 men outside of the Golden Gate have as a general thing been of an 

 average abundance and ample for the needs of the market. Of the 

 anadromous fishes, shad and striped bass have wonderfully increased 

 in the market. The iH'ice of the latter has fallen from 75 cents or $1 a 

 pound, which was freely paid in 1889, to 10 to 15 cents a pound in 1892. 

 Shad, which a few years after their introduction brought $5 each, have 

 year by year largely increased in numbers, and the price has fallen in 

 the market as low as 25 cents for two fish, or about 3 cents a pound, the 

 fishermen often receiving as little as a cent a pound. Salmon have iu 

 few instances been very plentiful, but the season's catches on the whole 

 have not been satisfactory. The tables by counties will show the catch 

 of these and all other species for the past four years. 



A conspicuous part of the fresh-fish sui)ply of San Francisco is taken 

 in San Francisco Bay aiul the adjoining bays to the north. Between 

 San Francisco and the southern end of the bay the principal fisheries 

 carried on are for oysters, shrimp, herring, and smelt. At the extreme 

 end, and for a few miles above on each side, are the only cultivated 

 oyster beds in the State. These embrace several hundred acres. At 

 many places in San Francisco Bay nmy be fouiul the remains of native 

 oyster beds in the shape of very small shells. Where native oysters 

 are found alive their size is too small to render them of any commercial 

 value. Investigations made by the United States Fish Commission 

 disclosed the existence of a number of these native oyster beds that 

 were not previously known, most of which Avere south of San Fran- 

 cisco, although a few were in the vicinity of San Pablo J^ay. On some 



