Pacific Coast Fishery Resources. 



13 



food product, the tail and adjacent parts 

 and the soft piece under the eye being the 

 choicest portions. It has much the flavor 

 and appearance of beef. There are sev- 

 eral whaling stations in operation on this 

 coast, nearly all of which ship the portions 

 mentioned to Japan. Could the prejudice 

 against the whale meat be overcome it 

 would prove a most important addition to 

 our national larder."* 



Today whale meat can be had in San 

 Francisco and Seattle, and is meeting- 

 wit h such favor that it is question of 

 but a short time when it will be in quite 

 general use. The flesh somewhat resem- 

 bles beef, and, contrary to the belief 

 widely prevalent amongst the uninformed, 

 is does not have a fishy flavor. The ani- 

 mal is not a fish, but is a true mammal. 



There are at present two whaling sta- 

 tions in Alaska, and one each in Wash- 

 ington and California, respectively, and 

 almost unlimited quantities of wholesome 

 whale meat could be produced if the mar- 

 ket demand justified it. The flesh from 

 the flukes of the tail is the portion gener- 

 ally sent to market. 



A few years ago, as an experiment, one 

 of the operators prepared a paste from 

 the flesh of the whale, which the writer 

 had the pleasure of sampling and found 

 it to be fully the equal of any meat paste. 

 Leather has been made from the intes- 

 tines and stomach walls of the whale, and 

 compares most favorably with other light 

 and fancy leathers. 



At present all of the blubber and bones, 

 and most of the meat, are employed in 

 the preparation of oil, fertilizer and whale 

 meal, the latter being utilized, with other 

 ingredients, in the manufacture of poultry 

 food. 



Several plants are now in operation in 

 Alaska for the purpose of capturing the 

 Beluga, or white whale. These mammals 

 are especially abundant in certain parts 

 of Alaska, notably Cook Inlet, Bristo 

 Bay, and the neighborhood of Nome. At 

 present only the skin is utilized, but there 

 is no reason why the flesh of this whal 

 should not be utilized for food, the sam 

 as is now being done with the flesh from 

 the sulphurbottom, humpback and finback 

 whales. 



PORPOISES These mammals are wholl 

 neglected on the Pacific coast as produc 

 ers of edible food, although they are ex 

 ceedingly abundant, and their flesh is ai 

 choice as that of the whales, to whicl 

 great family the porpoises also belong 

 The porpoise was accounted a great tabl 

 delicacy in the Middle Ages, when m 



uglish table of the first order was 

 bought to be royally spread without 

 hem. They, with the dolphin, were 

 erved at a magnificent banquet prepared 

 or Richard II ; they figured at the wed- 



ing supper of Henry V, and at the coro- 

 lation feast of Henry VII. Queen Eliza- 

 >eth was extremely fond of them, boiled 

 >r roasted and made into puddings or 



ies, the "seasoning of which demanded 

 i marvelous miscellany of ingredients in 



bedience to the canons of taste then pre- 

 *ailing." The monks of Dumfermline, 

 Scotland, had a grant from Malcolm IV 



f the heads of porpoises caught in the 

 forth, except the tongues. In the four- 

 eenth century the porpoise was, by stat- 

 Jte. declared, along with seals, whales, 

 ind dolphins, royal fishes, and the crown 

 lad the right to these denizens of the 

 deep when secured within three miles of 

 the shores, or "in creeks or arms of the 

 sea, for if taken in the wide seas they 

 belong to the taker." 



HAIR SEALS Many thousands of hair 

 seals frequent this coast, especially in 

 Alaska, and if properly hunted I believe 

 the industry could be made a profitable 

 one, as the hides make excellent leather. 

 A considerable reduction in the numbers 

 of these animals would greatly benefit the 

 salmon industry, as they annually destroy 

 millions of these valuable fishes. 



ALG.ZE. 



Despite the fact that the seaweed 

 resources of this coast are not surpassed 

 by those of any other, they are practically 

 ignored. A number of the native tribes 

 gather, prepare and eat considerable quan- 

 tities of seaweed, while small quantities 

 are prepared by the oriental fishermen 

 operating along the west coast for food, 

 medicine and fertilizer. 



Dulse (Rhodymenia palmata) is quite 

 common on our Northwest coast, and is 

 an article of diet amongst the Washington 

 and Alaska natives. The natives of 

 Alaska usually gather dulse in the sum- 

 mer, dry it in the sun, press it in boxes, 

 and then put it away for winter use. 

 Other species of this genus grow on the 

 west coast, while several other alga3 

 known as dulse in Europe and used in the 

 same way as Rhodymenia, are represented 

 by various species on our west coast. 

 Dulse is frequently eaten as a relish in 

 New England by the whites, and is also 

 in quite general use in Ireland. 



Vegetable isinglass could be prepared 

 from Gelidium corn&um, an alga which 



*Neglected Fishery Resources of the Pacific Coast. By John N. Cobb. Trans. 

 Pacific Fish. Soc. for 1914, pp. 1-11. 



