212 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



and bring but a small price. They are probably the tisli that, having 

 escaped the many nets of the lo\Yer river, finally reached the spawning- 

 grounds and later fell into the nets of the fishermen of the upper river. 

 The amount and value of the catch of late years have been as follows : 



HUMBOLDT COUNTY. 



Of the four years covered by this report the fisheries of Humboldt 

 County w^ere most imj)ortant in 1889, in the matter of jiroducts and 

 capital invested, owing to the fact that in that year a salmon cannery 

 was operated which was idle during the three following years. This 

 is one of the most important fishing counties in California. Over 300 

 fishermen are regularly employed during the fishing season and the 

 value of the catch is from $45,000 to $80,000 annually. The most 

 prominent product is the salmon. The catch of salt-water fish and of 

 clams and crabs is also important. The principal fishing center is 

 Eureka, situated near Eel Eiver, in which most of the salmon are taken. 

 The salt-water fish are obtained at the mouth of (he river, off Trinidad, 

 locatejl a few miles to the uorth, and in Humboldt Bay. The local 

 demand for fish in Eureka and vicinity takes a large i)art of the catch, 

 the surplus fish being sent to San Francisco by steamer. The yield of 

 salmon during the four years named was over 1,000,000 pounds annu- 

 ally, and that of other fish aggregated several hundred thousand 

 pounds. About 1,000 bushels of clams and 2,400 to 3,000 dozen of 

 crabs were taken and sold each year. The number of cases of canned 

 salmon prepared at the cannery during 1889 was 11,652. 



DEL NORTE COUNTY. 



Up to the present time the fisheries of this county have been limited 

 to the taking of salmon at and near the mouths of Smith and Klamath 

 rivers. A small salmon cannery on each river consumes the bulk of 

 the catch, a part of which is also used for local consumption, and a 

 l^art salted and shipped to San Francisco. 



Nearly all the persons employed in the fishing industry of these two 

 rivers are Indians, native to the section, tliere being a strong objection 

 to the employment of Chinese laborers in this county. 



The following is a statement of the quantities of salmon packed in 

 this county in the years 1889 to 1892, inclnsive. The fish utilized in 

 canning consist of chinooks and silversides in about equal proi)ortions. 



Tear. 



1889 

 1890 

 1891 

 1892 



Smith 

 River. 



Oases. 

 3,000 



2,500 



3,050 



Total. 



Cases 

 5,669 

 7,500 

 4, 500 

 4,250 



