138 EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



in the fishery 13 vessels, carrying* 1G7 men and 52 boys. The stations 

 employed 86 men. 



A few years ago a num])er of the cod stations were closed and hold 

 in reseryc, being considered too expensiye to operate, and, besides, 

 the fish on adjacent grounds were said to be groAving scarce. Since 

 that time these stations have been reopened and a few others have 

 been established, but it is now claimed that cod are becoming scarce on 

 the grounds in the vicinity of Pirate Cove as compared with former 

 years, and the closing of the station for a year or two is being consid- 

 ered. The station situated near the southern entrance of False Pass, 

 suspended for a number of years, was operated in the season of 1903. 



It is learned that fishing on Slime Bank, at one time a most prolifi.c 

 source, has been practically abandoned, because, according to fisher- 

 men, this ground has been "fished out." Port MoUer and banks 

 h'ing farther to the eastward are now the scene of operations. 



Previous to 1892 the cod fishery of the Pacific coast was conducted 

 from San Francisco. In that year Capt. J. A. Matherson, of Ana- 

 cortes, Wash., formerly of Provincetown, Mass., fitted out the schooner 

 Lizzie Colby for a cod-fishing trip to the Bering Sea, and, the first 

 voj^age proving a success, since that time has made annual trips to 

 that region. Up to 1903, however, when she landed at Anacortes 

 360,000 pounds of cod, valued at $10,800, this vessel was the onl}^ one 

 on Puget Sound engaged in the cod fisher}'. In that j^ear two other 

 vessels fitted out at Seattle for Alaska, returning with about 100,000 

 pounds of fish. One of these vessels obtained her fare in Bering Sea, 

 the other in the vicinity of Sanak Island. Another company has 

 recenth' been formed, with headquarters at Anacortes, and has a fleet 

 of four vessels. It is expected that some of these v.ill fish in Bering- 

 Sea during the season of 1901. 



It will thus be seen that the cod fishery of the Pacific coast is rapidly 

 growing. The method of preparing the salted product is practically 

 the same as that followed on the Atlantic coast, the fish undergoing 

 about the same kind of treatment. The artificial drying of cod is car- 

 ried on to some extent at San Francisco, machines for that purpose 

 having recently been introduced. From the fact that new firms are 

 being established along the coast, it may be inferred that there is an 

 increase in the demand for the Pacific cod. 



THE HALIBUT FISHERY OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



In 1S8T the halibut fishery of the Pacific coast began to attract the 

 attention of New England fishermen, and soon afterwards a number of 

 vessels from Gloucester, Mass., started around Cape Horn for Puget 

 Sound. On reaching their destination the}- fitted out at Seattle and 

 PortTownsend for the unexplored fishing grounds of southeast Alaska 

 and British Columbia. Several trips of fietched halibut were secured, 



