374 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
VII.— FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC STATES. 
The shore line covered by the accompanying statistical statements 
has an approximate length of 4,425 miles, of which California has 1,910 
miles, Oregon 1,170 miles, and Washington 1,345 miles. These figures 
include all the rivers of the coast as far as the limits of commercial 
fishing. 
The vessel fisheries characteristic of this region are those for whales, 
fur seals, and cod, all of which are of great importance. The whale 
fishery carried on from this coast is now the most important in the 
country. The shore fisheries, especially on the California coast and in 
Puget Sound, are extensive. The river fishery for salmon is the most im- 
portant in the world, and is the most remunerative fishery of the region, 
while the canning industry dependent thereon is of great magnitude. 
The fisheries of this section have been made the subject of a special 
report, to which the reader is referred for details.* 
There were employed in the fisheries of the Pacific States in 1888 
1,879 vessel fishermen, 8,804 shore fishermen, and 3,167 shoresmen and 
factory hands, making a total of 13,850 persons. 
The capital invested, which ranked next to the Middle States in 
point of value, amounted to $6,498,239, of which $1,682,545 represented 
vessels and their outfits, $591,985 boats, $1,194,795 apparatus of cap- 
ture, and $3,082,914 shore property and circulating capital. * 
The catch, which in value ranked as third among the five coast sec- 
tions, was worth at first hands $6,379,363. Kext to the general food- 
fish fisheries the most important branches were the fur-seal, whale, and 
sea-otter industries, and the molluscan fisheries. The crustacean catch 
was also large. 
CALIFORNIA. 
The tables for this State cover all the commercial fisheries, including 
those prosecuted in Alaska, so far as they are controlled by California 
capital ; exception to this, however, is made in the case of the Alaskan 
salmon fishery. 
In general the fisheries of California show a satisfactory improvement 
since 1880, though there has been a decline in some branches. The fig- 
ures for 1888 indicate an increase in personnel of 72 per cent., in capital 
of 136 per cent., and in value of products of 38 per cent. In 1888 the 
fur-seal and sea-otter fisheries of Alaska were included, these being 
maintained by California capital. In the foregoing comparisons with 
1880 these fisheries have been added to the figures given for California 
for the census year. 
"Report on the Fisheries of the Pacific Coast of the United States, by J. W. Collins. 
