KEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 139 



but there being- no market for the product on the Pacific coa«t, the 

 fares were shijoped overland to Boston and Gloucester. The cost of 

 transportation, however, rendered this enterprise unremunerative, 

 and the fresh halibut fishery also, since the local demand was limited 

 and a large portion of the product had to find market in the East, was 

 for a time unprofitable; but, Atlantic halibut becoming scarce, the 

 demand for the Pacific coast product increased to such an extent 

 that eastern firms were attracted to Puget Sound and British Columbia, 

 and in the last ten j^ears this branch of the fisheries has greatly 

 increased in importance. 



In the early years the fleet of small boats, sloops, and schooners 

 engaged in catching lialil)ut on the local banks — Cape Flattery, Cape 

 Scott, and around San Juan Islands — landed its fish at Port Townsend, 

 but since 1888 Seattle, owing to its superior shipping facilities, has 

 become the business center. 



While the sailing vessels comprised in the halilnit fleet of Seattle do 

 not compare in size with those of the Atlantic coast, thej^ answer every 

 purpose for w^hich they were designed, many of them having fine lines, 

 and l)eing built to encounter rough weather. The large vessels first 

 emploj^ed were found to be expensive, and, moreover, the shortest 

 route to most of the halibut banks being through the narrow channels 

 and passages between the islands and mainland of British Columbia, 

 smaller vessels were found better suited to the purpose. It was soon 

 recognized that the route leading to the fishing grounds of the North 

 could be better navigated by steam than by sail power, but it was not 

 until about eight ;rears ago that steam vessels were adopted. At vari- 

 ous times individual enterprises wdth steam vessels have been under- 

 taken, onl}" to be abandoned after a season or two; but the forming 

 of the company at Vancouver, backed by eastern fishing firms, gave 

 the halibut industry a new impetus. 



Steamers were at first chartered b}^ the company, but as the industry 

 maintained a stead}^ increase it w^as deemed advisable to have vessels 

 especiall}" built for its needs. The steamer N'ew Englmid was launched 

 at Camden, N. J., in 1897, and was brought around Cape Horn to 

 Vancouver. In 1902 the steamer Kingfisher^ built at San Francisco, 

 was added to the fleet. The steamer Saga, of Vancouver, now owned 

 by the New England Fish Compan}^, has also been converted into a 

 halibut vessel, and is to make regular trips to the banks. 



The fresh halibut fishery of the Pacific coast was can^'assed in 1900 

 for the 3'ear 1899. In that yeav there were landed at the various 

 points on Puget Sound 3,139,(540 pounds of halibut, having a value of 

 $108,170. In 1902, according to the Pacific Fisherman for April, 

 1903, there were landed in the State of Washington alone 20,050,000 

 pounds. Reckoning 2 cents a pound as an average price received by 

 the fishermen, this quantity of fish would represent a little over 



