11 



In former years most of the supply was obtained in and around the 

 bays; at present the bays of Monterey, Tomalcs, Point Reyes, and 

 other points along the coast, north and south, come in for their share 

 of the market supply. As the consumption increases about ten per 

 cent per annum, increasing with the increase of our population, the 

 outlook for years to come is not promising. The Commissioners 

 know of no way to increase the supply of fish of the varieties thai are 

 strictly indigenous to our salt waters, as the greater number of species 

 are migratory in their habits — only few kinds remaining the year 

 round in our waters. The best varieties of salt water fish are floun- 

 ders, soles, turbot, and tomcod, which are taken in good quantities in 

 the inland bays, the greater portion in San Pablo Bay. Sea perch, or 

 porgy, as they are termed in the New England States, are a hue pan 

 fish. Ours, in appearance, are darker in color than the eastern. Her- 

 ring are considered the most plentiful of all our food fish. They are 

 caught in great numbers in the Winter months, and are always in 

 great demand. 



bay pish. • 



San Pedro and San Diego Bays furnish most of the crayfish that 

 are used in the markets of the State. Shoalwater Bay furnishes all of 

 the native oysters, and a large proportion of the clams that are used 

 in the various markets of the State. It is a well known fact that 

 at the present time a large percentage of the food fish that are used 

 throughout the State come from outside bays and rivers; only a small 

 per cent being caught within the Bay of San Francisco. 



In the opinion of the Commissioners the catch of all kinds of fish 

 will decrease to a considerable extent in the next five years, if the 

 Chinese are allowed to fish with what is known as bag-nets, for the 

 purpose, as claimed by them, of taking shrimp. The nets they use 

 are so small in size of mesh that they catch and destroy the young of 

 all kinds of food fish by the hundreds of tons annually. 



Monterey supplies annually a large number of fish of all kinds to 

 the markets of San Francisco and the State. 



EELS, BLACK BASS, AND LOBSTERS. 



Eels, placed in our waters by the former Commissioners, have not 

 been a success. It is probable that the place where they were deposited, 

 and where they have made their home, has not yet been discovered; 

 at all events, none have been taken since they were planted. It seems 

 to us that they ought to do well in our inland waters, as they are fond 

 of the bottoms of ponds or streams where mud prevails, as is the case 

 in our lakes and rivers. 



Black bass, in our opinion, would do well in all of our large lakes, 

 such as Bigler, Donner, Webber, Clear, and Tulare. 



Lobsters may not do well in our latitude. They are not caught 

 in any considerable numbers below forty-one degrees north on the 

 Atlantic Coast. In the opinion of the Commissioners it would be 

 useless to expend any considerable amount to renew the lobster ex- 

 periment. 



In some of the lakes near San Francisco, quite a number of black 

 bass have been taken, and they seem to have done very well. 



In this report, the Commissioners who have signed it deemed it 

 proper, in the naming of the various species of fish, to avoid Latin 



