FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
63 
Fishing centers . — The fishing centers are Santa Cruz and Soquel. 
Both towns are within easy reach of San Francisco by rail or steamer. 
The former is a pleasantly situated seaside resort of some note, located 
on the north side of Monterey Bay, and having in 1888 an estimated 
population of about 6,000. Its harbor is not good, being open to south- 
erly and westerly storms, and when the wind blows hard from those 
directions it is impracticable for boats to go out. 
The fishing interests of Santa Cruz are controlled by two firms, who 
own two long piers, which serve the double purpose of fishing stations 
and steamer landings/ In summer the boats usually lay at anchor, off 
the town, when not engaged in fishing, but in fall and winter the 
weather is more boisterous, and they are always hoisted, at the close 
of each day’s work, to large wooden davits fastened to the sides of the 
wharves, like the davits on the side of a whale ship. During the prev- 
alence of gales on the coast the sea is so heavy that boats lying at an- 
chor off the town would either founder or drive ashore and be destroyed. 
It is therefore manifestly necessary to either hoist them in this manner 
or run them up on the beach out of the way of danger. Wilcox states 
that both methods are in vogue. One of the Santa Cruz firms — locally 
called companies — owns 15 boats, and the other has 3. These consti- 
tute the entire fleet from this place, since the fishermen own no boats. 
Soquel is a small village about 5 miles east of Santa Cruz, on the line 
of the railroad, near the mouth of Soquel Creek. It has a somewhat 
better shelter for boats than Santa Cruz, and is therefore a favorite 
shipping point to San Francisco. It has a fleet of 10 small fishing boats. 
In 1878 Aptos, a railroad station 3 or 4 miles east of Soquel, was a 
fishing center of some note, according to Professor Jordan, who states 
that “ at a point between Soquel and Aptos are about 50 fishermen.” 
In the year mentioned 80,818 pounds of fish were caught at Aptos.* 
At the present time there is no fishing from Aptos. 
Importance of fisheries . — The fisheries of Santa Cruz County are at 
present unimportant. In 1888 the number of men employed was less 
than half the number reported for 1878 by Professor Jordan. The prod- 
ucts remain essentially the same, however, being 233,831 pounds, net, in 
1878, and 235,247 pounds, worth $11,762, in 1888. This would indicate 
that the men now engaged in fishing give more exclusive attention to it 
than formerly. 
Species, seasons , etc . — For the most part the marine species here are 
essentially the same as those in the waters of Monterey County. There 
is, however, an entire absence of abaloue and sea moss. Shad and 
salmon are much more numerous here, and species of fresh-water fisli 
occur that are not found at Monterey or are less plentiful. Shad have 
annually made their appearance in Monterey Bay for several years 
past, and occasionally have been quite numerous. They generally 
* “ The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States/’ page 605. 
