SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK 
697 
thence to their spawning grounds in the myriad streams of the region. Here also, 
during the early summer, immature cohos and kings, actively feeding on this ocean 
bank, are taken in large quantities. 
The waters inside of the strait, our so-called “inland sea,” also fall into natural 
categories. The waters of Puget Sound east of Whidbey Island (see fig. 2), and 
south of Point Wilson (see fig. 3), are traversed almost entirely by salmon bound for 
local streams; the dominant species being the coho, chum, and pink. The only 
sockeyes taken are a few headed for the Skagit River. Traps, purse seines, and gill 
nets are employed. 
The remainder of Puget Sound, north of Point Wilson and west of Whidbey 
Island, is often spoken of as the “outside” waters. In this district, which should 
include also the southern tip of Vancouver Island, the sockeye and pink salmon 
greatly outnumber the other species in the catches. The trap and purse seine are 
both employed to advantage and a few gill nets are used in Bellingham and Boundary 
Bays. 
The last district is the Fraser River itself, from Mission Bridge to the mouth, 
and the adjoining waters of the Gulf of Georgia. Here the sockeye is the paramount 
species, although pinks are taken in abundance and fair catches of kings, cohos, and 
chums are made. The only gear permitted is the drift gill net, except late in the 
fall when portions of the district are opened to purse seining. The remainder of the 
Gulf of Georgia is fished by purse seines for cohos, chums, and pinks. A few sockeyes 
are taken near Quathiaski. 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERIES 
Exploitation of the salmon fisheries on a commercial scale began with the build- 
ing of the first sockeye cannery at New Westminster in 1866 (see fig. 2). Since 
sockeye were plentiful and the fishing, conducted with gill nets, was easy, the indus- 
try flourished (see table 1). Some changes have occurred in the gear, the skiffs used 
at first were replaced by roundbottomed boats in the 1890’s, and engines were in- 
stalled in practically all of the gill-net boats between 1911 and 1913. Since 1914 the 
gear has not undergone any significant changes in this Fraser River district. 
The second of the aforementioned districts to be commercially exploited was the 
inside waters of Puget Sound. Here the first cannery was built at Mukilteo (see 
fig. 3) in 1877, followed soon by canneries at Seattle and Tacoma. In these waters 
the early forms of gear were the gill net, set net, drag seine, and a primitive type of 
purse seine. Traps were used near Seattle as early as 1885-87, but were not successful 
in this portion of the district until about 1899, although east of Whidbey Island they 
were successful by the early 1890’s. In later years the gill nets, set nets, and drag 
seines became of minor importance, while the power-driven purse seiners became a 
major factor in the fishery. 
The northern or “outside” waters of Puget Sound were lightly fished until the 
erection of the first cannery in this district at Semiahmoo in 1891 (see fig. 2.) Can- 
neries were built at Point Roberts (see fig. 7) in 1893 and at Friday Harbor in 1894. 
By 1900, 15 canneries were operating in the district, out of a total of 19 in Puget 
Sound (see table 1). The sudden expansion of the fishery here was due to the success- 
