﻿r2.-N()TES 
  ON 
  THE 
  FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  PACIFIC 
  COAST 
  IN 
  1895. 
  

  

  By 
  William 
  A. 
  Wilcox, 
  

   Agent, 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission. 
  

  

  GENERAL 
  IMPORTANCE 
  AND 
  CHARACTERISTICS. 
  

  

  The 
  commercial 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  States 
  of 
  California, 
  Oregon, 
  and 
  

   Washington 
  and 
  the 
  Territory 
  of 
  Alaska 
  rank 
  in 
  importance 
  next 
  to 
  

   those 
  of 
  Kew 
  F]ngland 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Atlantic 
  States. 
  In 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  features 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  of 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  unusual. 
  Thus, 
  in 
  no 
  

   other 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  are 
  salmon 
  canning, 
  fur-seal 
  hunting, 
  and 
  

   sea-otter 
  hunting 
  found. 
  ]Many 
  valuable 
  products 
  are 
  here 
  taken 
  which 
  

   are 
  not 
  prominent 
  in 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  other 
  coast 
  sections. 
  

  

  During 
  1889-90, 
  1892-93, 
  and 
  189G, 
  under 
  orders 
  from 
  the 
  United 
  

   States 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Coast 
  have 
  been 
  canvassed 
  by 
  the 
  writer. 
  The 
  last 
  canvass 
  shows 
  a 
  

   marked 
  increase, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  gain 
  has 
  been 
  in 
  localities 
  

   that 
  until 
  recently 
  have 
  known 
  only 
  the 
  Indian 
  fishermen 
  who 
  took 
  

   fish 
  necessary 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  use. 
  

  

  The 
  geographical 
  and 
  descriptive 
  accounts 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  much 
  

   of 
  this 
  territory 
  have 
  been 
  i)reviously 
  given, 
  and 
  repetition 
  is 
  at 
  this 
  

   time 
  uncalled 
  for; 
  the 
  present 
  report 
  therefore 
  relates 
  more 
  to 
  statistics 
  

   showing 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  commercial 
  fisheries, 
  with 
  brief 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  

   opening 
  uj) 
  of 
  new 
  fisheries 
  or 
  fishing 
  industries, 
  matters 
  of 
  general 
  

   importance, 
  and 
  changes 
  since 
  the 
  inquiries 
  of 
  189'J. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  following 
  tables 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  industry 
  of 
  the 
  

   Pacific 
  States 
  in 
  1895 
  is 
  shown. 
  Over 
  17,300 
  persons 
  are 
  seen 
  to 
  have 
  

   been 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  industry; 
  the 
  capital 
  invested 
  was 
  87,274,170, 
  and 
  

   the 
  first 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  products 
  was 
  $4,469,052, 
  a 
  sum 
  representing 
  about 
  

   147,000,000 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Persons 
  emploiied 
  in 
  thcjishinf/ 
  industr;/ 
  of 
  the 
  racijiv 
  States 
  in 
  1S95. 
  

  

  How 
  engaged. 
  

  

  Cali- 
  

   fornia. 
  

  

  Oregon. 
  

  

  Washing- 
  

   ton. 
  

  

  Total. 
  

  

  In 
  vessel 
  fisheries 
  

  

  In 
  slioro 
  and 
  boat 
  fisheries 
  

   On 
  shore 
  , 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  1,451 
  

  

  2,710 
  

  

  601! 
  

  

  4,770 
  

  

  92 
  

  

  4, 
  230 
  

   2, 
  001 
  

  

  6,323 
  

  

  515 
  I 
  2.058 
  

   4. 
  -193 
  l!,4:i9 
  

   1,20» 
  3,808 
  

  

  6,212 
  I 
  17,305 
  

  

  