REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 137 



In Vermont a most g-ratitjing- increase is shown so far as apparatus 

 and shore and accessory property are concerned. The catch increased 

 from 298,139 pounds, valued at ^7,160 in 1895, to 542,812 pounds, 

 worth $37,669 in 1902, a gain of 211,673 pounds and $30,509. These 

 ligures represent the iisheries in that portion of Lake Champhiin 

 ijdng- within the state of Vermont. On the New York side no netting- 

 is ])ermitted, but Vermont allows it during certain seasons of the year. 

 Missisquoi Bay, at the foot of the lake, is the principtd net-tishing 

 region, and in the spring a nimilier of seines are hauled here and in 

 adjacent sections of the lake, for wall-e^'ed pike mainW; in the fall 

 they are hauled principally^ for white-iish, locally known as "shad." 

 Many attempts have been made to stop this form of lishing, which is 

 exceetlingly destructive to some of the most valuable species in the lake, 

 more particularly wall-eyed pike, white-lish, and pickerel, which form 

 nearly half of the catch, but it seems impossible to do so while Canada 

 permits her fishermen to haul seines in that part of the bay which 

 lies within her borders. 



In 1902 the State of Vermont granted 5 gill-net licenses to take 

 white-fish in Lake Bomoseen, 2 for Lake St. Catherine, 1 for Lake 

 Memphremagog, and 1 'for Lake Hortonia, and these nets captured 

 3,162 white-fish in Lake Bomoseen, 513 in Lake St. Catherine, 105 in 

 Lake Memphremagog, and 165 in Lake Plortonia. A very few perch^ 

 pickerel, and sun-fish were also taken in the nets. The fishery can 

 hardly be called commercial, as most of the fish caught were consumed 

 by the fishermen. 



. The greatest drawback to the fisheries of manv of the lakes and 

 streams is the presence of undesirable species. The ale wife in Seneca 

 Lake and the ling and carp in most of the waters are very objection- 

 a.ble. The alewif e and ling are not used for food. The carp, if taken 

 iuythe winter and shipped alive to New York City, would net the ship- 

 per a' fair price, being- a very hardy fish, which would stand shipment 

 in ice and arrive in good condition, 



THE PACIFIC COAST COD FISHERY. 



The last canvass of the cod fisheries of the Pacific coast supplied 

 data for the year 1899. In that year there were taken in Alaskan 

 waters and landed at San Francisco 5,917,131 pounds of salted cod, of 

 $178,051 value. In 1903 there were landed at San Francisco 19 car- 

 goes of cod, amounting to 2,022,300 fish in number, or approximatel}^ 

 9,605,925 pounds, of $288,177 value. Of this number, 170,000 fish 

 were caught in Okhotsk Sea, 867,300 in Bering Sea, and 985,000 at 

 the various stations among the Shumagin Islands. The Pirate Cove 

 station is credited with 525,000 fish, Unga station with 221,000, and 

 Sanak and Dora Harbor stations with 236,000. There were employed 



