﻿636 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Sumtnary 
  of 
  the 
  whale 
  fleet 
  having 
  headquarters 
  at 
  >San 
  Francisco 
  in 
  1895. 
  

  

  SALMON, 
  STRIPEH 
  r..\SS, 
  ANI> 
  SIIAi>. 
  

  

  The 
  receipts 
  of 
  chinook 
  salmon, 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  of 
  the 
  fishes, 
  sliow 
  

   a 
  gain 
  of 
  716,840 
  pounds 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  California, 
  as 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  with 
  1892. 
  The 
  amount 
  canned, 
  pickled, 
  and 
  sold 
  fresh, 
  4,350,014 
  

   pounds, 
  c;ime 
  chieHy 
  from 
  the 
  Sacramento 
  River. 
  The 
  increase 
  is 
  

   duly 
  credited 
  by 
  dealers 
  to 
  the 
  propagation 
  work 
  at 
  the 
  hatcheries 
  

   on 
  that 
  stream. 
  The 
  catch 
  of 
  tlie 
  lower 
  grades 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  northern 
  

   streams 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  show 
  a 
  decrease, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  accounted 
  for 
  more 
  

   from 
  low 
  prices 
  than 
  from 
  a 
  scarcity 
  of 
  the 
  fish, 
  the 
  total 
  amount 
  of 
  

   salmon 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  being 
  4,975,682 
  in 
  1895 
  

   against 
  4,862,408 
  in 
  1892, 
  a 
  net 
  increase 
  of 
  113,274 
  pounds. 
  192,000 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  red 
  salmon 
  were 
  taken 
  by 
  California 
  fishermen 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  

   of 
  Alaska 
  and 
  salted 
  — 
  a 
  total 
  increase 
  in 
  fresh, 
  canned, 
  and 
  pickled 
  

   salmon 
  of 
  305,274 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Striped 
  bass 
  are 
  regarded 
  by 
  dealers 
  and 
  consumers 
  as 
  among 
  the 
  

   most 
  valuable 
  fish 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  coast. 
  They 
  have 
  

   demonstrated 
  their 
  adaptability 
  to 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco 
  Bay 
  

   and 
  its 
  several 
  arms. 
  The 
  fishermen 
  took 
  56,209 
  pounds 
  in 
  1892 
  and 
  

   252,454 
  pounds 
  in 
  1895. 
  The 
  former 
  excessive 
  i)rices 
  have 
  decreased 
  

   with 
  the 
  increased 
  receipts 
  until 
  these 
  fish 
  are 
  within 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  all. 
  

  

  Shad, 
  also 
  introduced 
  by 
  the 
  Government, 
  have 
  continued 
  to 
  largely 
  

   increase 
  in 
  numbers, 
  but 
  the 
  demand 
  for 
  them 
  continues 
  light. 
  The 
  

   amount 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  market 
  was 
  considerably 
  less 
  in 
  1895 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  

   few 
  previous 
  years, 
  consumers 
  giving 
  the 
  preference 
  to 
  salmon, 
  striped 
  

   bass, 
  and 
  some 
  other 
  species 
  which 
  were 
  plentiful 
  and 
  cheap. 
  Shad 
  are 
  

   found 
  at 
  all 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  with 
  no 
  special 
  fishing 
  for 
  them, 
  and 
  

   only 
  so 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  saved 
  as 
  the 
  fishermen 
  judge 
  may 
  be 
  

   disi)osed 
  of, 
  large 
  numbers 
  being 
  returned 
  to 
  the 
  water. 
  If 
  a 
  market 
  

   for 
  salted 
  shad 
  is 
  found, 
  this 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  can 
  be 
  largely 
  

   increased. 
  

  

  