REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 39 



whicli break the shells uvvay from the "meat" of tlic shriiii)). Then, after a process of 

 alternate sifting and beating and picking over by hand and running through a fanning 

 mill, the "meat " is gotten out. For this dried shrimp meat the lishermen get 8 cents 

 a pound in San Francisco. The shells and other impurities are saved and are made use 

 of as a fertilizer, and with the rest of the shrimp product are sent to China. 



A few shrimps are taken at the San Rafael lishery and sent fresh each day to the 

 San Francisco market. 



The time of setting the nets varies. Sometimes the best catch is made while the tide 

 is running out; at others, the catch is equally good for the outgoing and incoming 

 tide— due probably to a general movement of the shrimps, independent of the current. 



When the catch is large the men stay at the nets and pull them in every hour or two. 



The average catch per day for each boat at the San Rafael fishery during the last 

 two weeks of July was 70 baskets, each basket weighing about 90 pounds, making in all 

 tj,300 pounds. The average number of boats out each day was seven, making in all 

 a daily catch of 44,100 pounds. For fifteen days this number is swelled to 661,500 

 l)ounds. One half of this consisted of small fish, principally of the following species: 

 Ofmiemn thaleicldhi/s (smelt) ; Engranlk mordax (California anchovy) ; Forichlhys notafuit 

 (midshipman) ; Lepticottus nrmatns (sculpin). 



The small Osmenis thaleichthi/s, about 2.V to 85 inches long, were very abundant, 

 making up over one fourth of the entire catch. The estimated amount of these young 

 smelt taken in the last fifteen days of July is 165,375 pounds, or about 16,537,500 small 

 tish. It is more than probable that this particular smelt is the principal food of the 

 young salmon descending the Sacramento River. 



When the nets come to the surface of the water these small smelt are dead, so that to 

 throw them back would do no good. The only way to prevent this destruction would 

 be to stop the fishing entirely during the time from April to October when these fish 

 are so abundant. 



The Chinamen save a good many of these young smelt, drying them on trays. They 

 say they get 10 cents a pound for them. 



During July they caught but few flounders. These were saved and dried, along with 

 a few sculpins, etc., which are not eaten by any one else. During May and June the 

 catch of flounders is very much greater than at the present time. 



The same conditions that existed at the time this report was written, 

 prevail to-day. There has been no change in the method of taking 

 shrimps, and the same reasons that existed for continuing the present 

 close season exist more strongly to-day, because as our population 

 increases there is a greater demand for fish. Therefore, we can less 

 afford to have the young fish — a future food supply — destroyed. 



The Chinese are the only people represented in the capture of 

 shrimps, and they would like to see the present close season reduced 

 by one or two months. They have made strenuous efforts to abrogate 

 or amend this law, which perhaps would not have been attempted were 

 it not that they, as for some years past, have been made the victims of 

 designing whites. The voluminous petitions for such amendment, 

 which have been presented to us, on examination proved to be signed 

 largely by fictitious names, and by others who, we believe, possess not 

 the slightest information on the subject of shrimps or the destruction 

 of young fish that follows their capture. 



It is well understood that to supply the local demand for fresh 

 shrimps, not more than five or six boats would find the occupation 

 profitable. We have suggested that the exportation of dried shrimps 



