REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 165 
The following shows the yield of the fisheries for certain years, 
exclusive of value of canned salmon: 
Yield of the fisheries of the Pacific coast States in 1888, 1892, 1895, and 1899, 
| Washington. Oregon. | California. | Total. 
Year sae tae 
Lbs. Value. | Lbs. | Value. | Lbs. Value. | Lbs. | Value. 
———_ | —| | 
| | } 
1888 _- | 18,914, 336 | $763,108 | 25,169, 266 i$, 010, 843 | 28,313,324 [$1,091,398 | 67,576, 926 |$2, 865,349 
1892/52. | 36, 757,287 | 931,568 | 28,521,105 | 872,405 | 57,838,466 | 3,022,991 |186, 268, 193 | 6, 245, 192 
W895 2-6 59,079,527 1,401, 433 | 34,141, 632 | 1,282,036 | 50,010,020 | 1,786,483 |147,231,179 | 4,469, 952 
1899)=- ..= | 120, 587, 726 ( 871, 438 | 22,818, 411 | 855, 750 | 74,559,019 | 2,551,451 |217, 965, 156 | 6,278, 639 
CONDITION OF THE PRIBILOF FUR-SEAL ROOKERIES. 
During the month of July, 1900, Mr. Townsend visited the Pribilof 
Islands for the purpose of procuring information respecting the con- 
dition of the fur-seal rookeries. The customary data, consisting 
chiefly of actual counts of the number of harems upon each breeding- 
ground and of the number of seals born during the season, were secured. 
Between July 12 and 19 the harems were counted on ali rookeries. 
Counts were made of the seals born on certain rookeries upon which 
counts have been made systematically for several years. Counts were 
also made of the pup seals that died on the rookeries from natural 
causes prior to the loss resulting from pelagic sealing. During the 
killing season records were kept of the proportion of seals rejected 
from the drives. 
The seals have been diminishing in number upon the breeding- 
grounds for many years, the annual decrease during the past few 
years amounting to about 20 per cent. The percentage of decrease 
has been based chiefly upon the counts of pups. The counts for the 
season of 1900 did not reveal a decrease in the number of seals born 
as compared with the previous season. This is traceable to the light 
pelagic catch made in 1897. The census of breeding females in 1897 
placed the number at 129,216. A census of the same class of seals in 
July, 1900, shows the total number to be 100,634. This shows a redue- 
tion of 28,572 breeding females since 1897. 
The seals available for killing upon the islands have heretofore 
consisted of 3-year-old males, the number taken becoming less from 
year to year until 1899, when 16,812 were secured. During the past 
season only about 9,000 seals of this class could be found. The price 
of skins being higher than usual, a number of 2-year-olds were taken, 
the number from both classes amounting to 21,994. This departure 
from the custom of the lessees was brought about by the high price 
of skins, and will result in a diminished catch of 3-year-olds next 
season. 
The average weight of skins taken on the islands is 9 to 10 pounds, 
but the small seals included in the quota for the present season 
reduced the average weight to 6 or 65 pounds. 
