﻿592 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  WHATCOM 
  COUNTY. 
  

  

  The 
  iiiteniatioual 
  boundary 
  Hue 
  betweeu 
  the 
  Uuited 
  States 
  aud 
  

   British 
  Coluuibia 
  passes 
  through 
  the 
  valuable 
  fishing 
  waters 
  of 
  Semiah- 
  

   moo 
  Bay. 
  Here 
  for 
  years 
  inuuuierable 
  quantities 
  of 
  salmon, 
  in 
  making 
  

   their 
  annual 
  migrations 
  from 
  the 
  ocean 
  to 
  Fraser 
  River, 
  passed 
  almost 
  

   unmolested 
  along 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  Whatcom 
  County, 
  through 
  Semiahmoo 
  

   and 
  Boundary 
  bays, 
  out 
  around 
  Point 
  lioberts; 
  thence 
  crossing 
  the 
  

   line 
  they 
  entered 
  Fraser 
  River, 
  British 
  Columbia. 
  These 
  grounds 
  have 
  

   Avithin 
  the 
  past 
  two 
  years 
  received 
  greater 
  attention, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  noticed 
  

   from 
  the 
  catch 
  in 
  the 
  American 
  waters 
  at 
  and 
  near 
  Point 
  Roberts, 
  

   Whatcom 
  County, 
  which 
  amounted 
  to 
  025,885 
  pounds 
  in 
  1891, 
  1,043,500 
  

   pounds 
  in 
  1892, 
  and 
  increased 
  to 
  5,110,272 
  pounds 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  The 
  salmon 
  catch 
  of 
  1895 
  consisted 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  species: 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  above, 
  3,043,202 
  pounds 
  were 
  used 
  at 
  the 
  two 
  canneries 
  h)cated 
  

   near 
  the 
  fishing-grounds 
  and 
  1,241,200 
  pounds 
  were 
  sold 
  to 
  tlie 
  can- 
  

   neries 
  of 
  Fraser 
  River, 
  i'l'early 
  all 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  made 
  by 
  i)ound 
  nets, 
  

   the 
  exception 
  being 
  184,239 
  pounds 
  by 
  Indian 
  reef 
  nets 
  and 
  40,971 
  

   pounds 
  by 
  gill 
  nets. 
  On 
  the 
  reefs 
  of 
  Lumini 
  Island 
  350,805 
  pounds 
  

   additional 
  weie 
  taken 
  by 
  reef 
  nets, 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  

   Indians. 
  The 
  Indians 
  also 
  take 
  quite 
  a 
  large 
  amount 
  of 
  fish 
  which 
  

   they 
  prepare 
  for 
  their 
  winter 
  food 
  supply. 
  This 
  latter 
  is 
  not 
  included 
  

   in 
  any 
  statistical 
  tables. 
  The 
  jiound 
  nets 
  are 
  put 
  down 
  iu 
  from 
  35 
  to 
  

   07 
  feet 
  of 
  Avater 
  with 
  pot 
  40 
  feet 
  square 
  and 
  leader 
  from 
  2,000 
  to 
  2,500 
  

   feet 
  long 
  — 
  probably 
  the 
  longest 
  leaders 
  used 
  in 
  any 
  fisheries 
  of 
  North 
  

   America. 
  The 
  cost 
  of 
  one 
  when 
  down 
  and 
  ready 
  for 
  use 
  is 
  from 
  $1,500 
  

   to 
  $2,000. 
  Pounds 
  are 
  lifted 
  on 
  the 
  slack 
  of 
  the 
  tide, 
  usually 
  but 
  once 
  

   a 
  day 
  unless 
  fish 
  are 
  very 
  plentiful. 
  From 
  5,000 
  to 
  15,000 
  salmon 
  are 
  

   at 
  times 
  taken 
  from 
  a 
  single 
  pound 
  during 
  twenty-four 
  hours. 
  About 
  

   August 
  5, 
  1890, 
  sockeye 
  or 
  blueblack 
  salmon 
  were 
  very 
  plentiful 
  and 
  

   13,000 
  were 
  taken 
  from 
  one 
  pound. 
  During 
  1895 
  14 
  pound 
  nets 
  were 
  

   used, 
  and 
  more 
  than 
  double 
  that 
  uuinber 
  in 
  1890. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  i^ounds 
  are 
  lifted 
  and 
  the 
  fish 
  removed 
  in 
  the 
  old-time 
  

   way 
  of 
  taking 
  a 
  boat 
  inside 
  the 
  pot 
  and 
  with 
  dip 
  net 
  and 
  gaflf 
  removing 
  

   the 
  fish. 
  A 
  quicker 
  and 
  easier 
  method 
  was 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  leading 
  firm 
  

   that 
  used 
  steam, 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  manner: 
  A 
  boat 
  with 
  several 
  men 
  is 
  

   taken 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  pot 
  of 
  the 
  pound, 
  and 
  a 
  steam 
  tug 
  brings 
  a 
  barge 
  

   alongside 
  the 
  pot, 
  remaining 
  on 
  the 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  barge. 
  From 
  the 
  

   deck 
  of 
  the 
  tug 
  a 
  derrick 
  is 
  rigged 
  with 
  a 
  running 
  line 
  from 
  the 
  steam 
  

   capstan 
  through 
  the 
  block 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  derrick. 
  This 
  line 
  is 
  

   attached 
  to 
  the 
  far 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  net 
  or 
  apron, 
  which 
  is 
  heavily 
  weighted 
  

  

  