Pacific (Joast Fishery Resources. 



on the outer banks off our coast. These 

 compare favorably with the famous sole 

 so popular with English consumers. Sev- 

 eral species of flounders are also exceed- 

 ingly abundant in these waters. * 



Various efforts have been made to 

 profitably operate the otter trawl on the 

 coastal banks between Oregon and 

 Alaska, and the chief difficulty experi- 

 enced has been in finding a market for the 

 large quantity of flat fishes caught. Until 

 a western market has been built up the 

 best method will be to freeze the fish and 

 ship them to eastern markets. It would 

 doubtless pay at present to freeze the 

 deep sea sole and ship it to England if 

 freight space can be secured on the trans- 

 Atlantic steamers. Extended investiga- 

 tions have shown that frozen flat fishes 

 are practically the same as fresh fish 

 when thawed out after being frozen even 

 for two years. 



TROUTS In Alaska are to be found 

 enormous numbers of Dolly Varden trout, 

 and lesser numbers of rainbow, cutthroat 

 and Great Lakes trout. The Dolly Var- 

 den trout are the deadliest enemies the 

 salmon have in Alaskan waters, as they 

 devour both the eggs and the young. Ow- 

 ing to their being classed in the states as 

 game fish, it has been almost impossible, 

 until within the last couple of years, to 

 find a market for them in a fresh or 

 frozen condition. At present the state 

 of Washington, thanks to the broad- 

 mindedness of Fish Commissioner Darwin, 

 permits their sale in the local markets. 

 A few hundred cases are canned annually 

 in Alaska, and these are prepared in the 

 same manner as salmon. If medium- 

 sized fish were selected and packed whole 

 in one and two-pound oval cans, they would 

 present a more inviting appearance, and 

 I believe a big trade in them could be 

 built up throughout the country, as a 

 trout label would be a novelty in the 

 East, and also one to conjure with, as 

 the name stands for a choice article in 

 the minds of the people. 



SHARKS AND SKATES Many sharks, 

 under which head is included the greyfish 

 (formerly known as the dogfish), are to 

 be found on this coast, and in some sec- 

 tions have been utilized as food for a 

 number of years. The IT. S. Bureau of 

 Fisheries' greyfish publicity campaign 

 focussed the attention of the public more 

 particularly upon this species and has 

 considerably increased the consumption. 

 We question whether it will ever com- 

 mand the serious attention of fish con- 

 noisseurs in this country, but it should 

 prove, as it has in the past on this coast, 

 a useful member of the brigade of low- 



priced fishes. The sharks stand canning- 

 very well, but are not so satisfactory 

 when dry-salted, as the flesh is apt to 

 turn yellow because of the excess of oil 

 in it. 



The skates, or rays, which have better 

 keeping qualities than almost any other 

 kind of fish, have also been utilized in 

 those sections of this coast where emi- 

 grants from south Europe congregate. 

 In San Francisco the French and Italians 

 frequently buy it, and as "raie au baurre 

 noir" it forms a popular dish. In 

 Seattle it is also popular with the 

 Italians, Austrians and orientals. The 

 fishermen of this coast could increase their 

 offerings of sharks and skates many hun- 

 dreds of times over the present supply 

 should the demand justify it. 



The Alaska Pollock (Thcragra chalco- 

 gramma} is very abundant in Alaska 

 waters, while a related species T. fueensis, 

 is found along the Washington coast 

 and as far south as Monterey Bay. The 

 former is a favorite article of diet with 

 the cod and fur seal. Although quite 

 palatable, especially in the fresh state, 

 very few are so utilized at present as 

 human food, due almost wholly to the 

 presence in Alaska of other and better 

 known species. It can be pickled easilv. 

 The species reaches a length of 3 feet, 

 although the average is more nearly about 

 half this. 



The Hake (Mcrlncciiis productus) is a 

 fairly large fish found throughout the 

 greater part of this coast, but it is only 

 in California that it is used to any 

 extent as food. They are quite abundant 

 and could be caught in vastly larger 

 quantities than is at present the case. 

 It pickles well. 



LAMPREYS Lampreys are to be found 

 in great, abundance on this coast, and 

 while they are too highly flavored to 

 serve as food for most consumers, there 

 are -few places where they meet with 

 favor. If not used as food, they could be 

 rendered, the oil obtained and fish meal 

 made from the residue. A reduction in 

 their numbers would be of great benefit 

 to. the fisheries, for by preying upon other 

 and better flavored species they do an 

 enormous amount of harm. 



But few persons now appreciate the 

 extraordinary estimation in which this 

 fish was long held. Royal edicts have 

 been published in England regulating 

 the price of the dainty when the cupidity 

 of fishmongers threatened to send it up 

 beyond the purses of the rich. Henry IV 

 granted protection to such ships as 

 brought over lampreys for the table of his 

 Royal Consort, while his successor issued 

 a warrant to William of Nantes to supply 



