﻿634 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  SAN 
  FRANCISCO 
  AND 
  TRIBUTARY 
  SECTIONS. 
  

  

  San 
  Frau 
  Cisco 
  continues 
  the 
  center 
  for 
  many 
  important 
  branches 
  of 
  

   the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  coast, 
  inchiding 
  the 
  great 
  salmon 
  industry 
  of 
  

   Alaska 
  and 
  the 
  rivers 
  of 
  California, 
  the 
  small 
  fleet 
  engaged 
  in 
  the 
  cod 
  

   fishery 
  of 
  Bering 
  and 
  Okhotsk 
  seas, 
  tlie 
  whale 
  and 
  fur-seal 
  fisheries, 
  

   and 
  the 
  eastern 
  oyster 
  industry. 
  The 
  wholesale 
  and 
  retail 
  fresh-fish 
  

   business 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  is 
  very 
  important, 
  but 
  shows 
  some 
  decrease 
  as 
  

   compared 
  with 
  past 
  years 
  of 
  more 
  general 
  prosperity, 
  and 
  also 
  a 
  

   decrease 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  fishermen 
  and 
  boats 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Francisco 
  

   County 
  shore 
  fisheries. 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  species 
  were 
  only 
  found 
  

   in 
  much 
  reduced 
  numbers, 
  especially 
  herring 
  and 
  sardines. 
  Crabs, 
  

   formerly 
  taken 
  inside 
  the 
  Golden 
  Gate 
  in 
  large 
  quantities, 
  are 
  now 
  

   mostly 
  obtained 
  in 
  trajis 
  set 
  for 
  several 
  miles 
  just 
  outside 
  the 
  surf 
  and 
  

   breakers. 
  The 
  crab 
  fishery 
  as 
  now 
  carried 
  on 
  is 
  followed 
  with 
  much 
  

   danger 
  and 
  loss 
  of 
  life, 
  with 
  a 
  reduced 
  catch. 
  

  

  Mussels 
  formerly 
  were 
  extensively 
  used 
  for 
  food, 
  but 
  at 
  present 
  few 
  

   are 
  eaten. 
  The 
  illness 
  of 
  several 
  persons 
  was 
  attributed 
  to 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  

   nmssels. 
  Whether 
  such 
  was 
  the 
  fact 
  or 
  not, 
  the 
  reports 
  destroyed 
  the 
  

   demand 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  used 
  decreased 
  from 
  2,880,000 
  pounds 
  in 
  1892 
  

   to 
  487,995 
  pounds 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  A 
  disagreement 
  between 
  the 
  fishermen 
  and 
  dealers 
  led 
  to 
  the 
  for- 
  

   mation 
  of 
  a 
  fishermen's 
  union, 
  or 
  association, 
  to 
  regulate 
  prices. 
  The 
  

   society 
  had 
  only 
  a 
  short 
  life, 
  and 
  on 
  its 
  dissolution 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  

   fishermen, 
  with 
  their 
  boats 
  and 
  fishing 
  gear, 
  moved 
  south, 
  locating 
  at 
  

   various 
  points 
  between 
  San 
  Francisco 
  and 
  San 
  Diego. 
  This 
  change 
  

   has 
  somewhat 
  decreased 
  the 
  receif)ts 
  at 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  as 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   who 
  located 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  Los 
  Angeles 
  and 
  San 
  Diego 
  counties 
  found 
  

   a 
  ready 
  market 
  there. 
  Those 
  locating 
  at 
  Port 
  Harford, 
  Monterey, 
  

   Capitola, 
  and 
  Santa 
  Cruz 
  sent 
  their 
  catch 
  by 
  rail 
  or 
  steamer 
  to 
  San 
  

   Francisco. 
  It 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  the 
  fishermen 
  bettered 
  their 
  financial 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  by 
  moving, 
  as 
  now 
  they 
  shij) 
  their 
  catch 
  to 
  large 
  dealers, 
  who 
  

   govern 
  the 
  prices 
  by 
  the 
  daily 
  receipts 
  and 
  demands; 
  transportation 
  

   charges 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  paid, 
  and 
  often 
  an 
  overstocked 
  market 
  leaves 
  but 
  a 
  

   small, 
  if 
  any, 
  margin 
  for 
  the 
  shippers; 
  if 
  receipts 
  are 
  small, 
  prices 
  

   advance 
  and 
  the 
  shippers 
  receive 
  the 
  benefit. 
  

  

  The 
  small 
  fleet 
  in 
  the 
  cod 
  fishery 
  was 
  increased 
  by 
  one 
  vessel. 
  The 
  

   catch, 
  which 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  Okhotsk 
  and 
  Bering 
  seas, 
  amounted 
  to 
  

   2,783,550 
  pounds 
  of 
  cured 
  codfish 
  — 
  an 
  increase 
  of 
  508,985 
  pounds 
  over 
  

   that 
  of 
  1892. 
  

  

  The 
  three-mast 
  schooner 
  Hera, 
  369 
  net 
  tonnage, 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Francisco 
  

   codfish 
  fleet, 
  was 
  the 
  only 
  American 
  vessel 
  that 
  fished 
  in 
  the 
  Okhotsk 
  

   Sea. 
  Her 
  catch 
  was 
  all 
  made 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  30 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  shore. 
  

   While 
  fishing, 
  the 
  vessel 
  was 
  boarded 
  by 
  a 
  Kussian 
  officer, 
  who 
  ordered 
  

   that 
  fishing 
  cease 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  vessel 
  report 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  the 
  governor 
  

   of 
  the 
  district 
  and 
  there 
  procure 
  a 
  license. 
  The 
  master 
  of 
  the 
  Hera 
  

   denied 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  fishing 
  in 
  waters 
  of 
  Russia, 
  as 
  he 
  was 
  fully 
  10 
  miles 
  

   from 
  shore. 
  The 
  officer 
  threatened 
  to 
  seize 
  the 
  vessel 
  if 
  his 
  order 
  was 
  

  

  