ACCLIMATIZATION OF FISH IN THE PACIFIC STATES. 
417 
locally on the shores of the bay and in the adjacent towns. At Santa Cruz 15 shad 
fishermen used 12 gill nets. They fished on grounds 2 or 3 miles off shore. The catch 
in 1893 was quite small, and was sold locally at 6 cents a pound. In 1886 and 1887 shad 
were more numerous here than at any other time. In 1892 they were more abundant 
than for several years. 
Of the shad fishery of Santa Cruz, Mr. Alexander remarks : 
It is not much greater in importance than that of Monterey. In 1886 and 1887 shad were more 
plentiful than they have ever been since. The catcli has gradually been falling off since 1887, and it 
now amounts to very little. Fishermen no longer look for shad to visit Monterey Bay in large num- 
bers, for the catch each year indicates that the water and general surroundings of the bay are not 
suited to their habits. The first shad caught at Santa Cruz brought several dollars, and for a consid- 
erable time they were sold at high prices. It was common for fishermen to get from 75 cents to 
$1.50 a piece for them. As soon, however, as they began to make their appearance in considerable 
numbers in the market of San Francisco, the price immediately fell to a comparatively small figure. 
Fishermen persistently demanded high prices for a long time, and not a few Italians thought that they 
were suddenly going to amass a fortune from catching shad, but they soon found that this fishery 
would yield no greater profit than other branches of the industry. 
The statistical inquiries of Mr. Wilcox relating to the Monterey Bay fisheries 
disclosed the following catch of shad in the years named, the values given representing 
the gross prices received by the fishermen : 
Years. 
Pounds. 
Value. 
1889 
20, 264 
$810 1 
1890 
24, 880 
995 
1891 
30, 120 
1,205 
1892 
35, 000 
1,400 
Regarding the future of the shad fishery of Monterey Bay, Mr. Alexander says : 
If shad should greatly increase in numbers in all parts of Monterey Bay the fishermen would 
derive no greater benefit than from the barracuda, mackerel, etc., and in fact not so much, for the 
reason that the day has gone by when fishermen can expect to get large returns for these fish. Sacra- 
mento River and San Francisco Bay can supply the State with shad at nearly all seasons, which 
practically precludes the possibility of fishermen situated further south from gaining more than a 
meager share of the trade, even if shad should become numerous south of Golden Gate. If the 
population within a radius of 60 miles of Monterey Bay should greatly increase, the case might be 
different ; but at the present time and under the existing circumstances, fishermen of Monterey Bay can 
do fully as well if not better by occupying their time fishing for other species. 
SHAD FISHERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND TRIBUTARIES. 
Early history . — In the remarks on the results of the introduction of shad to the 
Pacific Coast, reference was made to the first fish captured in California waters. The 
following additional notes on the early history of the fishery have been furnished by 
Mr. Alexander: 
In a very few years after shad were planted in the Sacramento River, fishermen began to catch 
them in their nets. At first only a few mature specimens were caught. Frecpiently several months 
would elapse without a single fish being taken ; suddenly, however, they would again put in an appear- 
ance, each time in greater numbers than before. Shad at that time were considered a great luxury, 
and the price was very high. The first specimens taken brought so much that fishermen who were 
fortunate enough to capture even three or four in a day did a lucrative business. The use of nets 
having less than a 7^-inch mesh being prohibited, very few small fish were caught. This was at that 
time a wise provision, for it gave the shad an opportunity to grow and multiply. This law, however, 
has never been repealed, and to-day, on account of the large-size mesh required by the statute, a great 
F. c. B. 1895 27 
