REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 83 
Hecate Strait. The products included 12,683,450 pounds of halibut, 
valued at $1,913,849; 950.200 pounds of sablefish, valued at $49,963 ; 
513,035 pounds of “ lingcod,” valued at $21,153; and 208,765 pounds 
of eehehehies valued at $7,794. Compared with the previous year, 
there was an increase of 152 trips landed and an increase of 704,430 
pounds, or 5.16 per cent, in the quantity, and of $462,475, or 30.22 
per cent, in the value of the products. The yield of halibut increased 
1,572,730 pounds, or 14.15 per cent, and $491,330, or 34.53 per cent, 
but there was a decrease in the catch of other species. Sablefish, for 
which there was an augmented demand during the war period, de- 
creased 603,400 pounds, or 38.83 per cent, and $24,327, or 32.74 per 
cent; “lingcod” decreased 209,965 pounds, or 29.04 per cent, and 
$3,280, or 18.42 per cent; and rockfishes decreased 54,935 pounds, 
or 20.83 per cent, and $1,248, or 13.80 per cent. 
The fishery products taken in Puget Sound and landed at Seattle 
by collecting vessels during the year aggregated 9,813,966 pounds, 
valued at $881,066. This quantity included 7,911,820 pounds of 
salmon, valued at $765,145, and the remainder consisted of herring, 
steelhead trout, smelt, rockfishes, flounders, crabs, and other species. 
Compared with the previous year, there was a net decrease in the 
products landed by collecting vessels of 1,995,484 pounds, or 16.89 
per cent, and $102,753, or 10.44 per cent, which decline was due to 
a large falling off in the catch of salmon. The decrease in salmon 
was, however, offset to some extent by a considerable increase in 
various less important species, 
SHAD FISHERY OF THE HUDSON RIVER. 
Figures gathered in a special canvass of the shad fishery of the 
Hudson River for 1920 indicated a reduction in the number of shad 
taken amounting to 40,986, or 45.38 per cent, and a diminished reve- 
nue to the fishermen amounting to $27,415, or 32.74 per cent, com- 
pared with the season of 1919. The persons engaged in this fishery 
numbered 368, an increase of 69 over the previous year. The equip- 
ment included 185 rowboats, valued at $10,011; 10 gasoline boats, 
valued at $2,050; 200 gill nets, valued at $23,710; 10 seines, valued 
at $1,655; and shore and accessory property valued at $2,925, the 
total investment being $40,351. 
The catch comprised 49,315 fish, or 199,844 pounds, valued at 
$56,309, of which 39,692 fish, or 157,715 pounds, valued at $43,882, 
were taken on the New York side of the river, and 9,623 shad, or 
42,129 pounds, valued at $12,427, were taken on the New Jersey side. 
The possibility of reestablishing a run of shad on a considerable 
scale in this river is still a matter of conjecture. 
SHAD AND ALEWIFE FISHERIES OF THE POTOMAC RIVER. 
The shad fishery of the Potomac River is of special interest to the 
Bureau owing to the long continuance of shad hatching operations 
thereon and the very active fishing that has been conducted in Chesa- 
peake Bay. Statistics for the season of 1920 showed a catch of 
529,358 shad, weighing 1,979,780 pounds, valued at $334,464. The 
