EEPOKT OF COMMISSION KU OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



INQUIRY RESPECTING FOOD-FISHES AND THE FISHING- 

 GROUNDS. 



A full act'ount of tlio operations of tlie <livision coiidiu-tiiij; tlioso in- 

 vesti^atknis will be found in the acconipanyiiifj;" report of Mr. Eichard 

 liathbun, assistant in charge (j)ages 97 to 171). 



My last rei)ort contains an outline of tlic pieliminary investigations 

 respecting the lishing-grounds of the IsTorth J*acitic region, begun by 

 the steamer Albatross in the summer of 1888, and which it was pro- 

 posed to extend to all the waters adjacent to the territory of the United 

 States on the western coast. During tlie past two years these surveys 

 have been completed between the Straits of Juan de Fuca and the 

 Mexican boundary line, or off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and 

 California, and a partial examination has been made of the shallow- 

 water area composing the eastern part of Bering Sea. 



Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, U. S. Navy, who has commanded 

 the Albatross ever since she was placed in commission at the beginning 

 of 1884, has been in direct charge of the conduct of these inquiries, and 

 it is a pleasing duty to make official record of the uniformly capable 

 and efficient services rendered by him in this connection. As com- 

 manding officer he has displayed rare seamanship, and at the same 

 time such tact and discretion under "difficult and often perplexing con- 

 ditions of administration as to merit the strongest commendation. 



During July, 1889, the Albatross was placed at the disposal of the U. S. 

 Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and was used in visiting the prin- 

 cipal Indian settlements in the . southeastern part of Alaska. Subse- 

 quently the fishery investigations were resumed to the south of Cape 

 Flattery and were carried southward as far as Cape Mendocino. Dur- 

 ing the following winter the region between Point Arena and Point 

 Concepticm was examined, and in the autumn of 1890 the remaining 

 section of the coast from Cape Mendocino to Point Arena. 



The summer of 1890, beginning in May, was spent entirely in Bering 

 Sea, where it was found that the principal banks frequented by the 

 cod are located off the northern side of the Alaska Peninsula, com- 

 mencing at Unimak Pass and extendifig, with only a single break, 

 parallel with the coast to near the head of Bristol Bay. Kulukak Bay 

 also furnishes several smaller grounds. Oidy two l)anks are recog- 

 nized in the southern part of Bristol Bay, both of whi(;h afford excel- 

 lent fishing in moderate depths of water. The most western one, called 

 Slime JJank, is peculiarly infested during the summer season with 

 immense numbers of a large jelly-fish, w^hich are said to remain near 

 the bottom and to greatly interfere with fishing operations during that 

 period. Baird Bank, which lies to the eastward of, and nearly adjoins. 

 Slime Bank, is the largest fishing-ground which has yet been discov- 

 ered in Alaskan waters, its size being slightly greater than that of 



