FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 5 
2. SCOPE AND OBJECT OF THE REPORT. 
The scope of this report is limited to a consideration of such fisheries 
as are prosecuted in or from the region embraced between the south- 
ern extremity of California and the northwestern limit of Washington. 
Incidentally, a somewhat extended reference has been made to certain 
phases of fishery in Alaska, in explanation of industries controlled by 
apitalists of San Francisco or elsewhere, and which really constitute 
a part of the fishing interests of the region specially treated of here. 
Mention has also been made of the Alaskan salmon fishery in order 
that the statistics of the Pacific fisheries may be as comprehensive as 
practicable, and that intelligent comparisons may be made of the rela- 
tive productiveness of the various localities in the territory controlled 
by the United States. 
An investigation of the salmon fisheries of Alaska was made.by Dr. 
Tarleton H. Bean, ichthyologist of the Commission, in the summer of 
1889, and a report has been prepared and published giving the results 
of the inquiry. 
A leading object has been to make this a geographical review, so far 
as practicable, and the attempt has been made to localize the fisheries 
of each section, so that their relation to other industries and all other 
local conditions affecting them may be understood. An important 
phase of this part of the work has been the consideration of the com- 
mercial fisheries of the small streams and bays, most of which have not 
been previously mentioned in the reports, for the reason that many of 
them have attained prominence as fishing centers since any similar 
inquiry was undertaken. A scarcely secondary object has been to em- 
body all leading facts concerning the history, methods, statistics, etc., 
of each of the more important branches of the fishery industry. Another 
important feature is the attempt to point out how certain fisheries may be 
improved or new enterprises established. Thus the knowledge gained of 
the conditions of the fisheries of the west coast makes it feasible to sug- 
gest, from a study of similar industries elsewhere, what should be done 
to secure the best results. 
For lack of space it has been found impracticable to put in this re- 
port a chapter on fishing vessels and boats prepared for that purpose ; 
that will, however, be published hereafter, For the same reason some 
other important matters have not been sufficiently elaborated. How- 
ever, nothing vitally important to a proper presentation of the matters 
dealt with has been omitted. 
3. SOURCES OF INFORMATION. 
The chief source of information has been the inquiry prosecuted by 
Messrs. \Vil cox and Alexander, in which the latter took only a compara- 
tively small part. It is, however, only just to say that important 
studies were made by Mr. Alexander of the northwest-coast fisheries, 
