The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-05-15
FISHING INDUSTRY
STATISTICS FURNISHED by STATE
FISH COMMISSIONERS
Whatcom County Credited With Furnish
ing Nearly Ninety Per Cent of the
cries and Yet Sockeye Pack is Nearly
Ninety Per Cent of Total.

In response to request from the
Whatcom Commercial Club State Fish
Commissioner Kershaw furnishes some
interesting statistics of the fishing in
dustry of the several districts of the
state. He says: puget Sound con-
tributes over 80 per cent of all the cap
ital employed, over n per cent of the
number of persons employed, over 79
per cent of the earnings of all labor en-
ployed, over SO per cent ut the value OF
the output of the state ami over 80 per
cent of the taxes received by this Office.
Of the $43, ,4S8. 10 from the Puget Sound
district received in this office during
the year 1901, per cent should be
properly credited to Skasit and San
Juan counties, 2 per cent to King, jeff
erson and Clallam counties, Pierce
nothing, and over 80 per cent to What
com county; and the state tax passing
through the regular channel of the
county treasurers of the state by way
of levy and assessments, credits What
com county with still larger per cent
than the above.
"There are now in this state eighteen
hatcheries The last legislature APP
propriated for the maintenance and
improvements of these hatcheries the
sum of SAL, $50 for the year 1901, and
WhatcOm county alone is furnishing
S35, 900 of this amount, or contributing
nearly 80 per cent of the entire hatch
cry fund. None Of the hatcheries are
supplying the streams with sockeye
salmon, but the sockeye pack in Puget
Sound is about 80 per cent of the entire
pack. 1t would therefore appear that
the sockeye salmon are carrying the
burden of the tax and receiving small
per cent of the benefits from the hatch
cries.
"Following is general summary of
the fisheries industry of the state of
Washington for the year 1901. Capital
and labor employed, earnings of labor
employed, and value of output:
CAPITAL EMPLOYED
Columbia River district....... 5 640,240 90
Puget Sound district"... ....... 4,165,5OO O0
Willapa Harbor district ....,.... 152, $50 90
Gray's Harbor district.......... 1868 90
Total .............. ............S5, 500, ,465 90
NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED
Columbia River district....... 1850
Puget Sound district .......... S,657
Willapa Harbor distrct..... 54l
Gray's Harbor district............ $50
Total. ..... l,f2S
EARNINGS OF LABOR EMPLOYED
Columbia River district.......S 440.500 90
Puget Sound district.........., 1884, 800 90
Willapa Harbor district......... 106,02G 90
Gray's Harbor district............ 7l,S60 90
Total..... ......... .............S3, ,OO2, $50 90
VALUE OF OUTPUT
Columbia River district........S 7s2, ,496 90
Puget Sound district............ 7,526,970 90
Willapa Harbor district........ 24t, 800 90
Gray's Harbor district..........! 17S,260 90
Total..... .....So, IZ9,ozo w
AMOUNT OF TAXES RECEIVED AT THIS
OFFICE, BY DISTRICTS
Columbia River district. .......S SITS GA
Puget Sound district......-..... 43,4SS 10
Willapa Harbor district ......... 1,2S4 40
Gray's Harbor district.......... = 1908 35
Total ...... .............. ..-...-..S 54,Ol4 40