The morning call., 1893-12-06
OUR FOOD FISH.

The New York Sun has kindly article
on the Goldfish industry of San Francisco,
which contains few inadvertent mistakes
worth correcting. 1t says that the center
OF the codfishing industry is about to be
transferred from Gloucester, Mass. to San
Francisco. and it alludes to the transfer
as something new. As matter of fact,
that industry is one of the oldest on this
coast, having been started in a small way
thirty years ago. and we are sorry to add
that after good degree of development
il lost ground Of late years. But during
the last few months it seems to have taken
a new start as the result of better modes
of curing.
The codfishing grounds of the Pacific
are not near this port, as our contemporary
seems to imagine, but on the coasts of
Alaska, Japan and Siberia. The vessels
engaged in the fishery sail out Of San
Francisco, and the fish are partly cured
and prepared for market here, but. though
fish are sold in our markets under the
name of fresh cod. the genuine sgadus is
not caught south of Vancouver Island.
The chief fishing grounds on which the
cod cured here are taken are off the
Shumagin islands and in the Okhotsk Sea.
IL
which one quarter were caught off the
Shumagin islands. and three quarters in
Okhotsk Sea. In 1888. the catch amounted
to 1.720,000 fish, of which $50. 900 we're
taken off the Shumagin Islands of Alaska.
But the business was not wisely con-
ducted; where there should have been
profits. there were losses. In 1889, The catch
was only $50 600 fish. and it has since been
less. There is no reason why Ii should
have fallen off except for want Of skill in
curing; and if, as the Sun says, the whole
country west Of the river valleys is sup
piled with cod from this CITY, and one
half the consumption of Chicago is dra wn
from the same point, San Francscans are
very glad 10 hear it,
The cod of the waters of Alaska
and Okhotsk is identical with the cod
of the banks of Newfoundland and
its flavor is not inferior. but its
size is less. The frauds which the
Sun mentions as being practiced in the
East by the substitution of husk, hake
and haddock for cod are unknown here.
The species of dogfsh which Is called
husk is pot taken by our fishermen. Wnen
it swallows the hook il is thrown back
into tho water. and the cheaper varieties
of the gadda which are caught in Allan
tic waters are quite rare here. When our
cod industry reaches its full DEVELOPMENT
it seems likely that the fsh-curers will
look 10 Mexico and South America as we'll
as the East for their markets.
Referring to the gradual extin ction of
the common mackeral on the Atlantic
coast of the United States the Sun says
that fist-dealers are now importing their
supplies from Ireland and Norway, and
that the California macserel is lacking in
flavor. and is not even used by Califor-
mans. 1t is not always safe 10 reckon that
that which is will always be. Shoals of
scombers have fioated past the coasts of
Ireland from time immemorial. Their
commercial value only became appar-
ent when the mackerel became scarce
on the coast of New England.
There is no warrant for the Suns
assertion that the California scom-
ber is "a cross between the Spanish
mackerel and the fish native to the Allan
tic waters" We wish it was. Our scom-
Der is identical with the Atlantic scomber,
the difference being that. like the cod. it is
generally smaller than the Atlantic fish.
The mackerel, however. which filled the
bay of San Luis Obispo two years ago,
averaged three pounds. AS TO the Span
ish mackerel or bonito it is lonely fish
here as in the Atlantic, and is only caught
occasionally north of San Diego.
The fish industry Of the Pacific Coast
has everything in its favor excerpt intelli-
gent. energetic management The fishing
grounds for cod and halibut are mex
haustible, and fishermen can prosecute
their work without danger. which is not
the case ON the banks of Newfoundland
But it requires energy and business smart
ness to open UP new markets for products
They will come by and by, and the prod
uct of the sea will figure prominently
among the exports of this roast