240 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



report is based it was feasible to visit only that j)art of the Columbia 

 basiu within the States of Washington and Oregon. For liundreds of 

 mites east and northeast of that section, however, salmon and other 

 fish in more or tess abundance are found, the catch being mostly utilized 

 by ranchers and Indians living near the stream. 



The following counties of Washington and Oregon, bordering on the 

 Columbia River and its tributaries, maintain commercial fisheries, the 

 full extent of which is exhibited in the tables elsewhere presented: 



Oregon: Clatsop, Cohimbia, Multnomah, and Wasco counties. 



Washington: Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clarke, Skamania, and 

 Klickitat counties. 



Clatsop and Pacific counties, which are at the mouth of Columbia 

 River, ha^'C fishing interests on their ocean sides as well as in the river. 



Through the courtesy of the numerous firms engaged in the fishing 

 business of the river, the agent was able to obtain from their well-kept 

 records detailed statistics showing the results of the fishery and can- 

 ning industry of the river in a more comprehensive, useful, and reliable 

 form than have heretofore been obtained. 



THE SALMON INDUSTRY. 



This branch of the fisheries completely overshadows all others, and 

 is the only one entitled to mention with the exception of the sturgeon 

 fishery, which is of recent develojiment. 



In the early years of the salmon-packing business on the Columbia 

 Chinook salmon were extremel}^ abundant, comprising the bulk of the 

 run and all of the pack; other varieties were unutilized. With the 

 beginning of a decrease in the abundance of chiuook salmon the small 

 blueback salmon was brought more into notice. When the run of 

 chinooks began to fail some of the packers made cautious experimental 

 packs of small quantities of bluebacks to help out their annual i)ack, 

 although few were willing to concede the advisability of utilizing any 

 fish except chinooks. The bright red color and fine flavor of the 

 bluebacks at once gave the fish a firm hold on the trade and resulted in 

 an active demand, which has continued to the present time. Singular 

 as it may seem, the utilization of the bluebacks and the increasing 

 quantities consumed annually have been attended by an apparent 

 increase in the abundance of the fish. 



The accompanying figures will show that while the blueback is found 

 in the Columbia River every year it has of late had its years of abun- 

 dance and scarcity, thus resembling in its migrations the humpback 

 salmon of Puget Sound. For the past six or eight seasons the even 

 years have witnessed the larger run of bluebacks. Up to a compara- 

 tively recent date the steelhead, which has always occurred abundantly 

 in the Columbia, was considered wholly unsuitable for packing. The 

 same cause, however, which brought the blueback into use has led 

 to the utilization of the steelhead. Recently the demand for canned 



