138 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
in the fishery 13 vessels, carrying £67 men and 52 boys. The stations 
employed 86 men. 
A few years ago a number of the cod stations were closed and held 
in reserve, being considered too expensive to operate, and, besides, 
the fish on adjacent grounds were said to be growing scarce. Sinee 
that time these stations have been reopened and a few others have 
been established, but it is now claimed that cod are becoming scarce on 
the grounds in the vicinity of Pirate Cove as compared with former 
years, and the closing of the station for a year or two is being consid- 
ered. The station situated near the southern entrance of False Pass, 
suspended for a number of years, was operated in the season of 1903. 
It is learned that fishing on Slime Bank, at one time a most prolific 
source, has been practically abandoned, because, according to fisher- 
men, this ground has been ‘* fished out.” Port Moller and banks 
lying farther to the eastward are now the scene of operations. 
Previous to 1892 the cod fishery of the Pacific coast was conducted 
from San Francisco. In that year Capt. J. A. Matherson, of Ana- 
cortes, Wash., formerly of Provincetown, Mass., fitted out the schooner 
Lizzie Colby for a cod-fishing trip to the Bering Sea, and, the first 
voyage proving a suecess, since that time has made annual trips to 
that region. Up to 1903, however, when she landed at Anacortes 
360,000 pounds of cod, valued at $10,800, this vessel was the only one 
on Puget Sound engaged in the cod fishery. In that year two other 
vessels fitted out at Seattle for Alaska, returning with about 400,000 
pounds of fish. One of these vessels obtained her fare in Bering Sea, 
the other in the vicinity of Sanak Island. Another company has 
recently been formed, with headquarters at Anacortes, and has a fleet 
of four vessels. It is expected that some of these will fish in Bering 
Sea during the season of 1904. 
It will thus be seen that the cod fishery of the Pacific coast is rapidly 
growing. The method of preparing the salted product is practically 
the same as that followed on the Atlantic coast, the fish undergoing 
about the same kind of treatment. The artificial drying of cod is car- 
ried on to some extent at San Francisco, machines for that purpose 
having recently been introduced. From the fact that new firms are 
being established along the coast, it may be inferred that there is an 
increase in the demand for the Pacitie cod. 
THE HALIBUT FISHERY OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
In 1887 the halibut fishery of the Pacific coast began to attract the 
attention of New England fishermen, and soon afterwards a number of 
vessels from Gloucester, Mass., started around Cape Horn for Puget 
Sound. On reaching their destination they fitted out at Seattle and 
Port Townsend for the unexplored fishing grounds of southeast Alaska 
and British Columbia. Several trips of fletched halibut were secured, 
