REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 15 



The status of the San Francisco market, the chief center 



SAN FRANCISCO of the fishery industry, is so well summed up in the 



MARKET. report of Mr. W. A. Wilcox, and the manner and 



methods of taking and handling the catch so tersely 

 described, that we make the following extract therefrom: 



"The fresh-fish business of San Francisco presents few changes or improyements» 

 Fish are handled in the same primitive manner often described and always noticed by 

 every one that takes any interest in visiting the fish markets. The fish are seldom 

 dressed and but a small amount of ice is used. * * * Six days in the week, every 

 week in the year, with the exception of a few stormy days, the little lateen-rigged fish- 

 ing-boats sail out in the morning for the same fishing-grounds, with the same kind of 

 fishing-gear, nets, or trawls ; with little trouble they catch the same varieties of fish, 

 and the evening finds them back in their fishing-dock." (p. 197.) "The fresh-fish mar- 

 kets of San Francisco are interesting and in some respects unique. In them one may 

 buy a single pound of fish or a carload, both wholesale and retail business being carried 

 on at the same stand. About 12,000,000 pounds of fresh fish are handled annually, exclu- 

 sive of those in the Chinese markets. Large quantities of oysters, clams, mussels, 

 shrimp, and crabs are sold annually. * * * The fresh and salt waters of the State 

 are rich in quantity and variety of animal life, and fishery products from all over the 

 State find their way to this market. It is said that over 275 species of fish are found in 

 the waters of the State, although many of these are not used as food, except by the 

 frugal Chinese, who rarely permit anything to goto waste." (p. 208.) "The quantity 

 of fishery product annually withdrawn from these waters is enormous, but it is doubtful 

 if the full resources are utilized or appreciated." (p. 196.) 



Monterey Bay fisheries are as abundantly supplied as 

 MONTEREY BAY. ever, The number of salmon taken during the last two 



summers has been enormous. The catch was so large 

 this year that the Sacramento River Packers Association opened a can- 

 nery at Monterey. 



The fisheries of Southern California were augmented 



SOUTHERN by the building of a cannery at San Pedro, in 1895, 



CALIFORNIA, by the TIaniman Fish Company, for the canning of 



sardines, lobsters, mackerel, barracuda, etc. This 

 cannery was supplied with the latest appliances and gave great promise 

 of enormously increasing the output. Unfortunately, it was completely 

 destroyed by fire in June of this year. The sardine cannery of the 

 California Fish Company, at East San Pedro, has been in operation 

 continuously since our last report, and is most successful. 



The San Diego fisheries are the only ones in the State which show a 

 falling off. This is due in a large part to their limited market. 



