The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-05
DIR. SMITHS REPORT
New and Interesting Facts
About Our Fish.
EXPERT GIVES AN OPINION.
He Makes Many Valuable Sugges-
tiOns to Men Engaged in the
Salmon Industry.
EXPERT GIVES AN OPINION.

Under instruction of Marshall McDon-
aid, United States Commissioner of Fish
and Fisheries DR.. Hugh NJ. Smith made
a visit to this city and coast last year
for the purpose of making a study OF the
fisheries of this region. His investga,
tions extended from San Diego bay to the
Columbia river. Many new and interests
ing facts are contained in mis- report to
the department. In his general remarks
on the Pacific coast fisheries. he says.
'The general commercial fisheres OF
the Paclnc States are Oh more recent orl>
gin tnan those OF any otner coast section
OF the counlry anu, w4tn the exception
Oh the salmon nsnery, they are less deN
VeIOped thau any otner region. Never.
tneiess, in the period OF tnlrsy years,
during which 1t may be said the tsner'
les OIL the west coast have existed, tne
industry has attained great importance
ana now ranks next TO tnat OF New Eng
land and AlIduIe AtIantie States In eA-
tent and value. There seems no reason 10
doubt that the business viii assume
vastly greater proportions in the near
future, altnough there is cause to ap,
prenend decline in several important
branches, as, Tor instance, the salmon,
the whale, the fun seal and the sea,
otter fisheries.
The various phases of the fishing in,
dustry of the west coast, including
Alaska, give employment to about 1900
persons, the capital invested amounts to
about $S,9OO,00O, and the annual value to
the fishermen of the products taken ia
approximately $,SOO,OOO
"The special fisheries which give this
region much of the prominence it pos
sesses are the salmon, the whale, the
oyster the fur seal, the shrimp, the COD,
the crab and the herring, in the. order
named. The value of the salmon fishery
is about equal to that of all other fish
cries combined, while the canning in
dustry-connected with the fishery has
an annual output of but little less In
value htan that of all the fishery products
of the coast. The salmon are by far the
most important fishery products OF
Alaska, Oregon and Washington, but
in the fisheries of California they are
surpassed by the whales, oysters and
shrimps."
After detailing the story of how salmon
trolling began In Monterey Bay in 1898
the report goes on to say that in this year
the fishery promises to be more exten,
slvely followed than last year. Profess
sional fishermen owning boats and regu,
lar boatmen will resort to the bay from
more or less remote places. The season,
1t is stated, opens early in June. DR..
Smith then makes this important conclu-
sion:
IAN interesting point connected with
this subject is that these are undoubted.
ly the fish that constitute a part Of the
fall run of salmon in the Sacramento
river. Last fall the Sacramento river
fishermen took number Of salmon in
their nets which had hooks in their
mouths-clearly fish which had been
snagged In Monterey Bay"
On the salmon industry Of the Columbia
river the report says;
From 1866, the year in which the
salmon canning industry on the Colum.
bia river was established to 1894 the
quantity of salmon utilized for canning
purposes was about 695, 400, 900 pounds and
the aggregate pack was about 1888, 800
cases, each holding forty-eight one-pound
cans or the equivalent. The value Of the
pack to the Gamers was about $61, ,76O,-
500."
After calling attention to the d!minu-
tion of the salmon supply Of the Colum.
hia river the sentiment of those most
prominently interested In the industry as
to the measures favored for the preserva-
tion Of the salmon is shown in interviews
with nineteen Gamers public men and
state fishery officers the Gamers pre-
dominating. OF this number thirteen
favor extensive artificial propagation
and a close season throughout the months
Of April and August.
In writing Of the sturgeon fishery of
the Columbia river DR.. Smith says the
average gross weight of the fish is 15O
pounds. though specimens turning the
scales at 800 pounds and even more ara
not rare. In 1892 one weighing 800
pounds was taken off Oak Point, and In
the previous year one weighing S4S
pounds was caught near Kalama, this
being probably the largest sturgeon ever
taken on the west coast.
Inquiries regarding the results OF tine
attempted acclimatization OF the eel on
this coast. says the report. are apt to
elicit misleading Information unless great
care is exercised. In the San Francisco
markets one learns that eels are not un-
frequently exposed for sale and that
both salt water and river fishermen catch
them occasionally, but an examination
Of the reported cells usually shows them
to be lampreys A few true eels have
been taken in California, but they are
now very scarce and seldom seen
THE CAVALRY FLED.