130 American Fisheries Society 



In 1914, the Puget Sound fleet comprised 90 power 

 vessels, with a total net tonnage of 2,635, and operating 

 361 dories; and 7 steamers, with a total net tonnage of 

 1,118, and operating 92 dories; making a grand total for 

 the fleet of 97 vessels, with a total net tonnage of 3,753, 

 and operating 453 dories. This gives an average of 

 38.69 net tons to the vessel as compared with 19.67 in 

 1904, a gain in size of 19.03 net tons per vessel for 1914. 

 An average of 4.67 dories to the vessel is also shown, an 

 increase of 2.17 over 1904, when the average number 

 of dories to the vessel was 2.5. The catch of halibut by 

 this fleet in 1914 amounted to 43,305,805 pounds, and 

 this divided by 453, the total number of dories, gives an 

 average per dory of 95,597 pounds. The average price 

 per pound of first grade fish received by the fishermen 

 for this catch amounted to 4.7 cents. 



The average catch per dory in 1904 was 118,929 pounds, 

 while the average per dory in 1914 was 95,597 pounds, 

 a decrease per dory in the latter year as compared with 

 1904 of 23,332 pounds, or about 20 per cent. 



In considering this decrease per dory since 1904, the 

 conditions in the former year, and for some little time 

 after, should be taken into consideration. In 1904, there 

 was a limited, but growing, demand for halibut, and as 

 the fleet was more than able to supply this demand but 

 few of the vessels were operated throughout the year. Of 

 the fleet of 35 sailing and 1 power schooners, 11 operated 

 only on the nearby banks, thus tying up or engaging 

 in other business during a portion of the year, while 7 

 of the remainder fished for halibut in Alaska alone, pre- 

 sumably engaging in other fishing operations or acting 

 as run boats in the salmon industry the rest of the year. 

 Had the whole fleet engaged continuously in the industry 

 throughout the year, as was the case in 1914, the average 

 per dory in 1904 would have been vastly larger than it 

 really was, thus making the decrease since much more 

 pronounced than the figures indicate. , 



Twelve years ago the fleet was composed almost 

 wholly of small sailing vessels, nearly all of which had 



