70 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



The species are ranked in the above statement 

 according to total value; according to quantity the 

 order is chinook, silver, dog or chum, blueback, and 

 steelhead. The per cent distribution, by species, of 

 the quantity and value is given below: 



The next tabular statement gives the statistics 

 of the Pacific coast salmon catch for those years for 

 which data are available. 



The fluctuation to be noted in earlier years in the 

 relative amount of the product reported for Oregon 

 and Washington, respectively, is due to the peculiar 

 habit of the principal species caught in Puget Sound 

 in coming in greatest abundance every fourth year, 

 and somewhat, perhaps, to an uncertainty in reporting 

 results of operations on that portion of the Columbia 

 River which forms the boundary between the two 

 states . The great decrease in bulk shown for Washing- 

 ton in 1908, as compared with 1899, amounting to 

 nearly 50 per cent, is in marked contrast to the slight 

 increase in the Oregon product, while the contrast in 

 the movement of the value since 1899 is also marked. 

 In California there was a decrease in both quantity and 

 value from 1888 to 1895, but since then there has been 

 a steady upward movement in value, although in 1908 

 the quantity of the catch shows a decrease from the 

 high figures of 1904. 



The Alaska salmon product in 1908, which is not 

 included in the above presentation, was 198,953,000 

 pounds, valued at $10,672,000. This was practically 

 all marketed in a preserved condition, and tbe data 

 therefor will be found in Chapter VIII, which relates 

 to the packing and canning establishments. 



Comparative figures for the salmon catch of New 

 England as reported for prior years are as follows : 



