FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
69 
probably exceed in magnitude the combined value of all other similar- 
fisheries along the entire coast of the Pacific States from San Diego to 
Puget Sound, including those localities. In addition' to the local or 
shore fishery prosecuted from boats, etc., and which of itself is a large 
industry, San Francisco is extensively interested in the pursuit of the 
cod, whale, and fur-seal fisheries, which employ large numbers of men 
and much capital, while the products reach an aggregate value of con- 
siderable magnitude. The river or fresh-water fishery is of secondary 
importance, and, though not insignificant, it can not be favorably com- 
pared with the immense operations on the Columbia River, or even 
with those prosecuted on streams of less consequence. Nevertheless, 
considerable quantities of anadromous species, and notably the salmon, 
are taken in the bays, when the fish are en route to their breeding- 
grounds. As a whole, San Francisco and vicinity may be considered 
one of the leading fishery centers of the United States, and its possi- 
bilities of development in this particular are believed to be very great. 
Because of their magnitude the fisheries of this region will be consid- 
ered separately. 
Fishing centers . — The city of San Francisco is the great fishing center 
of this region and as a market and point of distribution maintains fish- 
eries at other points in its vicinity. The varied character and impor- 
tance of its fisheries will appear in the detailed discussions that follow ; 
there also will be found extended reference to the fleets of vessels and 
boats that sail from this port, or bring hither their products for sale or 
shipment. The New England whalers that hunt their prey in the icy 
Arctic Ocean north of Bering Strait come to San Francisco in fall and 
winter to land their catch and refit for other cruises. 
The fisheries of San Francisco have built up in the city several manu- 
facturing enterprises, while the disposal of fishery products employs a 
considerable amount of capital and many people. Four firms are 
engaged in the manufacture and sale of fishing apparatus, and, in addi- 
tion to supplying the local demand, they ship goods to other points 
along the coast from Panama to British Columbia, while occasional 
invoices are sent to the Pacific Islands. It is estimated that fully 
40,000 pounds of cotton rope and u hanging twine” of American manu- 
facture are annually sold to the fishermen and canneries of British 
Columbia, while some 36,000 pounds of trap netting, valued at about 
$15,000, are exported to Panama and one or two of the Pacific Islands. 
The importance of San Francisco as a fishing and distributing center 
is best shown, perhaps, by a consideration of exports and imports of 
fishery products. In 1888 the exports of cured cod, canned, salt, and 
smoked salmon, other species of canned or cured fish, crustaceans, and 
shellfish amounted to $2,7 LI, 377. The exports of whale and fish oils 
for the same year, according to the custom-house records, aggregated 
$64,631. In 1886 the collector of the port, Hon. John S. Hager, re- 
ported the imports of “ all other dutiable fish, $66,665.” These fish 
came chiefly from China, and were for the Chinese trade of California. 
