198 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
making four steam vessels then in the market fishery. Some of these 
steamers are continually engaged in the fishing business, and at most 
times all four of them are. They leave the fishing dock early every 
morning, except Saturday, which is their day of rest, made so from the 
next day being Sunday, in which they could not dispose of their catch, 
as they return in the evening of the same day they leave. The steamers 
leave the fishing dock and soon pass out through the Golden Gate; 
turning north, a run of a few hours brings them to their usual fishing- 
grounds in Drake Bay, where the paranzella or drag net is scon in the 
water, and the steamer slowly drags it along the bottom until it is 
thought best to reel it in, empty the catch, and repeat the operation. 
The steamer’s crew consists of captain, engineer, fireman, and four 
to six fishermen, who are hired by the month. 
The catch consists mostly of flounders and the numerous varieties of 
flattish, with a small amount of many other kinds of bottom fish, some 
of which are saved and others thrown overboard quite likely to be 
recaught the following day, as nearly the same fishing-ground is gone 
over day after day, and generally the catch is equally good. 
One good result of the use of steamers is that the catch can always 
be landed fresh and only a few hours at most from the time the fish 
were freely Swimming in the ocean. 
The many varieties of salt-water fish caught by the market fisher- 
men outside of the Golden Gate have as a general thing been of an 
average abundance and ample for the needs of the market. Of the 
anadromous fishes, shad and striped bass have wonderfully increased 
in the market. The price of the latter has fallen from 75 cents or $1 a 
pound, which was freely paid in 1889, to 10 to 15 cents a pound in 1892, 
Shad, which a few years after their introduction brought $5 each, have 
year by year largely increased in numbers, and the price has fallen in 
the market as low as 25 cents for two fish, or about 3 cents a pound, the 
fishermen often receiving as little as a cent a pound. Salmon have in 
few instances been very plentiful, but the season’s catches on the whole 
have not been satisfactory. The tables by counties will show the ecateh 
of these and all other species for the past four years. 
A conspicuous part of the fresh-fish supply of San Francisco is taken 
in San Francisco Bay and the adjoining bays to the north. Between 
San Francisco and the southern end of the bay the principal fisheries 
carried on are for oysters, shrimp, herring, and smelt. At the extreme 
end, and for a few miles above on each side, are the only cultivated 
oyster beds in the State. These embrace several hundred acres. At 
many places in San Francisco Bay may be found the remains of native 
oyster beds in the shape of very small shells. Where native oysters 
are found alive their size is too smali to render them of any commercial 
value. Investigations made by the United States Fish Commission 
disclosed the existence of a number of these native oyster beds that 
were not previously known, most of which were south of San Fran- 
cisco, although a few were in the vicinity of San Pablo Bay. On some 
