200 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



most of the fish after curing are stripped of their skins, cut up, and 

 packed as boneless fish. This modern way of ])lacinj,' cod on the market 

 has been most favorably received in Australia, where the American 

 boneless cod has nearly driven the hard-cured "stock fish" of northern 

 Europe from the market. 



Changes are taking place in the grounds resorted to by fishermen. 

 The distant Okhotsk Sea and far eastern waters, where attention Avas 

 first called to the cod of the Pacific, have nearly been abandoned by 

 American fishermen for the nearer home fishing-grounds of Bering 

 Sea, and the vessel fisheries of the latter are giving \vay to the estab- 

 lishment of i)ermanent fishing stations on the islands bordering Bering 

 Sea. Both American and native fishermen remain at these stations 

 and fish on the adjacent banks, which are quickly and easily reached 

 by small boats. The fares are soon taken, and on returning to the 

 station the fish are dressed, salted, and packed away until vessels from 

 San Francisco arrive. These bring salt for curing and supplies for the 

 men, and return Avith loads of kench-cured fish to be unloaded at the 

 home station, and there prepared as boneless cod. 



Firms at San Francisco engaged in the cod fishery have branch sta- 

 tions at the following points on the Shumagin Islands : Sand Point, 

 Ked Cove, Company Harbor, Squaw Harbor, Ikaluk, Chichagof Bay, 

 Henderson Island, Unga Island, Nelson Island, Pirate Cove, Sanborn, 

 Easatska, Johnson's Harbor, and Port Stanley. 



The San Francisco cod fleet in Okhotsk Sea in 1889 and 1890 con- 

 sisted of two brigs of G18 tons, whose aggregate catch was 1,168,484 

 pounds and 1,123,941 pounds, respectively. During 1891 no American 

 cod vessels visited that region. In 1892 a three-masted schooner of 

 369 tons took 516,000 pounds of cod. 



The extent of the Bering Sea cod fishery carried on by San Francisco 

 vessels during the four years beginning 1889 was as follows, two small 

 schooners being employed in transporting the catch: 



The aggregate receipts of salt cod by San Francisco firms, specified 

 by fishing- grounds, are shown for four years in the following table: 



