﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  PISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  CXXXVII 
  

  

  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  PACIFIC 
  STATES. 
  

  

  A 
  general 
  canvass 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  commercial 
  fisheries 
  of 
  this 
  

   region, 
  begun 
  in 
  May, 
  189G, 
  was 
  completed 
  in 
  February, 
  1897. 
  Mr. 
  

   W. 
  A. 
  Wilcox, 
  the 
  agent 
  making 
  the 
  investigation, 
  visited 
  every 
  fishing 
  

   community 
  in 
  the 
  coast 
  regions 
  and 
  rivers 
  (except 
  remote 
  points 
  in 
  their 
  

   headwaters), 
  and 
  obtained 
  statistical 
  and 
  other 
  data 
  which 
  are 
  embodied 
  

   in 
  an 
  appendix 
  to 
  the 
  report 
  for 
  1896. 
  The 
  inquiry 
  related 
  chiefly 
  to 
  the 
  

   calendar 
  year 
  1895, 
  but 
  embraced 
  a 
  notice 
  of 
  the 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  

   branches 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  since 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  canvass, 
  in 
  1892. 
  

  

  The 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  industry, 
  as 
  determined 
  by 
  this 
  investigation, 
  is 
  

   shown 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  tables. 
  It 
  appears 
  that 
  in 
  1895, 
  17,305 
  persons 
  

   were 
  engaged 
  in 
  various 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  California, 
  Oregon, 
  

   and 
  Washington. 
  Of 
  these, 
  over 
  2,000 
  were 
  employed 
  on 
  vessels, 
  about 
  

   11,500 
  in 
  shore 
  and 
  boat 
  fisheries, 
  and 
  3,800 
  in 
  canneries, 
  fish-houses, 
  etc. 
  

   The 
  investment 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  amouiited 
  to 
  about 
  $7,275,000, 
  of 
  

   which 
  $1,380,000 
  represented 
  vessels 
  and 
  their 
  outfits, 
  $505,000 
  boats, 
  

   about 
  $1,300,000 
  apparatus 
  of 
  capture, 
  and 
  over 
  $4,000,000 
  the 
  shore 
  

   property 
  and 
  cash 
  capital. 
  The 
  first 
  value 
  of 
  products 
  was 
  $4,470,000, 
  

   representing 
  over 
  147,000,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  fish, 
  crustaceans, 
  mollusks, 
  etc. 
  

   The 
  leading 
  fishery 
  product 
  was 
  the 
  chinook 
  salmon, 
  of 
  which 
  38,392,000 
  

   pounds, 
  valued 
  at 
  $1,082,000, 
  were 
  taken. 
  The 
  next 
  in 
  importance 
  is 
  

   the 
  oyster, 
  the 
  product 
  being 
  valued 
  at 
  $650,000. 
  

  

  Persons 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  States 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  , 
  loats, 
  apparatus, 
  shore 
  property, 
  and 
  cash 
  capital 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  States 
  in 
  1S95, 
  

  

  