THE SALMON FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST 



By John N. Cobb, 

 Assistant Agent at the Salmon Fisheries of Alaska. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The most, valuable commercial fisheries in the world, excepting 

 only the oyster and herring fisheries, are those supported by the sal- 

 mons. Of these the most important by far are the salmon fisheries 

 of the Pacific coast of North America, where California, Oregon, 

 Washington, and Alaska, including also British Columbia, possess 

 industries representing millions of dollars of investment and millions 

 of output annually. No published reports contain data for the en- 

 tire coast, or have pertained to the same year for both Alaska and 

 the States. In the following pages, containing the returns from a 

 canvass occupying several months, the data are complete for the 

 United States coast and Alaska for the year 1909, and to make the 

 report more comprehensive, historical and geographical aspects of 

 the subject, as well as methods of the fisheries and allied industries, 

 are discussed at some length. Figures for British Columbia have 

 been included also, so far as possible, the official reports of the 

 Dominion of Canada and of the Province itself having been drawn 

 upon for this purpose. The statistics for Alaska are taken from 

 the already printed (1909) report of Mr. Millard C. Marsh and the 

 present writer." 



° The fisheries of Alaska in 1909. By M. C. Marsh and J. N. Cobb, agents at the salmon. 

 fisheries of Alaska. Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 730. 1910. 



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