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California War Papers

Increasing Our Pacific Coast
Fishery Resources

BY

JOHN N. COBB

Issued by the
Committee on Scientific Research

of the

State Council of Defense

Sacramento, California"
1918

Committee on Scientific Research

of the

State Council of Defense

DR. JOHN C. MBRRIAM, Chairman

DR. A. O. LEUSCHNER

RAY LYMAN WILBUR

CHESTER H. ROWELL,

J. A. B. SCHERER

DR. GEORGE E. EBRIGHT

INCREASING OUR PACIFIC COAST FISHERY RESOURCES.*

By JOHN N. COBB,

Author of "The Commercial Fisheries of Alaska," "The Commercial Fisheries

of the Hawaiian Islands," "Pacific Cod Fisheries," "Pacific Salmon

Fisheries," Etc., Etc.

THE almost world-wide war which has
raged since August, 1914, has devas-
tated some of the most fertile agri-
cultural lands in Europe, and has destroyed
or driven from their accustomed fishing
grounds the greater part of the European
fishing fleets, and in order to replace the
products formerly obtained from them the
rest of the world has been laid under con-
tribution. Great efforts have been made
by our farmers, ranch and sheep men to
supply the world's demand for farm prod-
ucts and domestic animals, while all eyes
are now turned upon our marine and
freshwater fishermen to supply the defi-
ciency in fishery products, and so far they
have responded nobly to the call.

The first effort of the fishery interests,
and in this they have shown excellent
judgment, has been to enlarge the demand
for products now before the public, such
as herring, sardines, sablefish, flounders,
clams, crabs, etc., feeling that as the con-
sumer is now familiar with these and their
proper preparation as food, they will feel
more like purchasing them than to buy a
product with whose appearance and man-
ner of cooking they are totally unfamiliar.

Usually the development of a demand
for a new food product is a slow and
expensive process, due to the inherent
conservativeness of the housewife in con-
nection with food matters, as it usually
means that she will have to learn how
best to handle it, etc. The war, however,
has cut off from our markets so many
hitherto popular imported fishery products
that the housewife has had to seek for
substitutes, and the result has been that
the domestic producer of a new fishery
product has met with a much more sympa-
thetic hearing, especially as most of them
have attempted to comply with the con-
sumer's demand for authoritative infor-
mation as to the best methods of preparing
it for table use.

The slogan, "Eat More Fish," sweeps
over the country, largely through the
efforts of the TJ. S. Bureau of Fisheries
and the food conservation commissions
organized since the United States entered
the war, and in this connection an odd

state of affairs at present exists. An
immense army is now in cantonments in
order to be properly trained, while the
navy has been recruited to its full war
strength. In order to feed these men the
authorities are buying enormous quanti-
ties of provisions, but while the civilian
branches are advising the people at home
to eat more fish and thus reduce the
quantity of meat consumed in order to
have more for export to our allies, the
fighting branches continue to feed the
men largely on meat, fish forming but a
comparatively small part of the regular
ration in both services. While an almost
exclusively meat diet may be necessary on
the fighting front, it surely can not be so
while the men are at the training camps
in this country, and many letters from
these men indicate that they would wel-
come more of a fish diet than is at present
provided.

There are a great many species of fishes
to be found on this coast, and of this num-
ber nearly all are edible. Some are
entirely too small, or have so little avail-
able flesh on their bodies, ever to be of
value from a commercial standpoint, while
a very few have flesh of too insipid a flavor
to please the consumer. Of the remainder
only a comparatively small number ever
find their way to our markets, due to the
fact that the fishermen naturally prefer
to ship those they are sure of finding a
market for, as none of them have the capi-
tal or time to devote to persuading the
consuming public to buy a hitherto un-
known species. No attempt has been made
here to list all species available, the more
prominent alone having been selected in
order to keep the article within reasonable
bounds.

FISHES

HERRING — This is the commonest food
fish found in the waters of the world, and
there is no more wholesome fish for rich
or poor. This species belongs to a class
of fish in which the fat is stored in the
muscles, under the skin, and in the ab-
dominal cavity, and not, as with the cod,
haddock, and most white fishes, laid up

*This paper is an amplification of one read before the annual meeting of the
Pacific Fisheries Society held in Seattle, Wash., on June 10-12, 1914, and entitled
"Neglected Pacific Fishery Resources." It has been prepared in its present form at
the request of the Committee on Zoological Investigation of the California Scientific
Research Conference.

California War Papers.

in the Ih't'r. This makes it much more
nourishing, because fat is one of the most
valuable food substances, and is the chief
source of animal energy and heat. Weight
for weight, silted herring has a greater
nutritive value than most meats and other
fish. The low price of herring brings it
within the reach of all and makes it pre-
eminently the poor man's food, although
it is equally popular with the poor and
rich in European countries.

Enormous quantities of herring are con-
sumed in this country annually, and but
a very small proportion is prepared here,
most being imported from Scotland, Nor-
way, Holland and Canada. The Scotch
and Norwegian cures are the most popular
with the herring eaters of this country,
many of whom came originally from either
Great Britain or the Scandinavian coun-
tries.

Immense schools of herring frequent
both our Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and
if proper efforts were expended in building
up a fishery we could in a few years time
pack enough annually to supply our domes-
tic demand and have some left over for
export. At the present time our Pacific
coast fishermen wait until the schools
come into our protected waters for either
spawning or feeding purposes, which re-
stricts the fishery very materially both as
to time and the quantity packed. In
European waters the fishermen go out to
sea to meet them, and if our fishermen
were to do this the pack could be vastly
increased, while it is probable that the
average size of the fish caught would be
considerably greater.

Canada and Newfoundland have fos-
tered their herring fisheries until today
they largely exceed ours both in quantity
and value. Canada has brought experts
from Europe to study the migrations,
habits, etc., of the species, while other
experts have been secured to show the
fishermen the best methods of preparing
the fish for market.

This year the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries
sent an expert to this coast for the purpose
of showing the Alaska fishermen how to
cure the fish, and it is hoped his visit will
result in a considerable improvement in
the pack.

The chief trouble with the domestic
pack has been that the packers, many of
whom are fishermen with no shore plants,
or grossly inadequate ones, have fre-
quently insisted upon curing the fish in
the manner which appealed most to them-
selves, and with practically no regard to
the wishes of the ultimate consumer.
Slipshod methods of dressing, cleaning and
curing the fish have also prevailed, while

great negligence, to put it mildly, has
been shown in packing the fish. The chief
evil has been that many packers have put
big and little fish together in the same
barrel. Buyers of herring should know
the approximate, if not exact, number of
fish to the barrel, and if the packer has
not properly graded his fish according to
the standard sizes and packed these in
separate barrels the buyer will naturally
offer the fisherman a much lower price
than if they had been properly graded, as
before he can offer them to the jobbing
houses he must empty every barrel, grade
the fish properly, and then repack, mark-
ing on the outside of each barrel the
approximate number of fish in it, and all
this costs money and requires time.

From 500 to 650 fish to the barrel is
the most popular size. Some, however,
will run nearly a thousand to the barrel,
a rather small size for pickling, while I
have packed some Shumagin Island,
Alaska, herring which ran as large as
225 fish to the barrel.

In 1916 some pickled herring from
Alaska brought as high as $14 a barrel
at Seattle, while many others couldn't be
sold at any price because of poor curing
and packing.

SARDINES — For some years two plants
have been operated in Monterey, Cal..
packing sardines in one-pound ovals, while
several plants operated intermittently in
southern California packing sardines in
|-, \- and f-pound cans. The great reduc-
tion in the importation of sardines from
Europe, due to the war, caused a heavy
demand for domestic goods, and in the
fall and winter of 1916 a number of the
tuna packers took up the business after
the tuna season was over, with the result
that 172,125 cases of all sizes were packed,
while a still larger pack will be made in
1917 ; and should the demand warrant it
a still larger pack can be made, as the
supply of fish is almost limitless. The
packers are rapidly introducing the most
up-to-date methods of handling and pack-
ing the fish and will have a rigid inspec-
tion system installed, thus assuring the
consumer a choice, sanitary article of
food that will compare favorably with the
best eastern and imported brands. In
1916 Maine canners packed about
1,600,000 cases of sardines, and there is
no physical reason to prevent Pacific
coast packers from equalling this, pro-
vided the domestic market can be per-
suaded to take them, and the experience
of our packers with their packs of 1916
and 1917 would seem to indicate that
this is not only possible but quite prob-
able.

Pacific Coast Fishery Resources.

Several attempts have been made on
Puget Sound and in Alaska to build up
an industry in the canning of the young
herring and a pilchard which frequents
those waters, but as these were all tried
some years ago they failed largely through
the inability of the canners to compete
with the cheap a.nd abundant labor then
available for the Maine canneries. The
high prices caused by the war's demands,
the cutting off of imports of foreign sar-
dines, together with the present avail-
ability of labor saving machinery, have
altered conditions very much, and it is
probable that the packing of sardines in
this section would be profitable now. In
1916 a plant was established in southeast
Alaska where the larger herring were
kippered and canned in 1-pound ovals,
while in 1917 the same plant expanded
its business to include packing in i-pound
ovals.

COD — Off our Alaskan coast lie the
most extensive cod banks to be found
anywhere in the world, and yet at the
present time less than a dozen vessels
frequent them. This has been due to
the fact that the eastern and European
packers, having been established much
longer, controlled the business to a large
extent. The war, however, diverted Nor-
way's exports from this part of the
world to the European continent, and as
the Atlantic coast dealers were not able
to take care of the additional demand,
recourse was had to the Pacific coast,
where the catch is limited only by the
market demand.

Very little attention has been paid in
this country to preparing the fish other
than in a dry-salted condition. Norway
has for many years prepared immense
quantities of stockfish and marketed them
throughout the world. Stockfish is cod
which has been eviscerated and usually
split almost to the tail and then dried
in the open until it has the hardness of a
board. In this condition it will keep for
a long time if stored in a cool, dry place.
A small quantity is put up in Alaska
each year, and this will doubtless be
greatly increased so soon as the war
has cut off the Norwegian exports to this
country.

SABLEFISH (Anaoplopoma fim'bria) —
For some years the halibut fishermen of
this coast have been catching on their
trawl lines a most delicious fish which
they called black cod. Like many other
fish it was handicapped by its common
name, as it was not a cod at all, and
bore no resemblance to that world famous
fish either in appearance or flavor. The
cod of commerce is a dry-meated fish,
practically all of its oil being in the

liver, while the black cod's flesh is of a
firm and flaky texture, white in color
and rich in oil. In 1916 the writer
suggested the name of sablefish for this
species and this is now in general use.

The fish is generally found in deths of
75 to 200 fathoms, from off San Francisco
to the Gulf of Alaska, being particularly
abundant from Oregon northward. The
halibut fishermen fishing in the deeper
waters caught many of them, but it has
been only within the last 5 years that a
market has been developed for them, and
this has been due to the efforts of the
wholesale fish dealers of the Northwest
coast, who have spent much time and
money in developing this demand.

The fish are" very abundant, and it has
not been a question with the fishermen
how many they could catch but how
many they could sell. As the demand
increases more and more vessels are engag-
ing in the fishery, and in time it prom-
ises to be one of the most important
fisheries of this coast. In 1916 . the
Puget Sound fleet alone produced
2,244,751 pounds.

The sablefish averages about 15 pounds
in weight, although it grows much larger.
It is an excellent shipper, either in a
fresh or frozen condition, and in the
latter condition can easily be shipped as
far as the Atlantic coast.

A couple of years ago the Seattle
dealers began preparing "barbecued"
sablefish, and this method has had much
to do with its rapidly growing popu-
larity. In barbecuing, the fish is lightly
pickled and smoked, or kippered, as it is
termed, and in that condition, if kept
cool and dry, will keep perfectly for 10
or 12 days. The frozen and pickled fish
may also be barbecued, the first after
thawing1 and the latter after soaking, so
that eastern smokers are enabled to
barbecue the fish as wfell as their western
brothers.

Despite its richness in oil, the sable-
fish freezes well and the same it also
true with regard to pickling. In the
latter condition it rarely ever rusts.

Recently the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries
has done considerable publicity work in
connection with this species, which has
aided very materially in making it known
iri quarters where its fame had not
hitherto penetrated.

SHAD (Alosa sapidissima) — It is a
question of only a few years until the
shad fishery of the Pacific coast will
be of first-rate importance. At the pres-
ent time it is so overshadowed by its
giant brother, the salmon fishery, that
it is almost lost sight of. T*he fish are
taken mainly on the Columbia and Sac-

6

California War Papers.

rameuto rivers. Most of them are
marketed in a fresh or frozen condition,
many carloads being sent to eastern
markets, while some thousands of cases
of both fish and roe are canned each
season. Some are also dry salted and
shipped to oriental markets. The de-
mand for shad is slowly but steadily
increasing, and the supply could be
greatly increased should the necessity
arise.

WHITEFISH (Cores/onus) — A number of
species of this very choice fish are found
in many of the inland lakes and streams
of the Northwest and in Alaska. Some
commercial use is being m.ade of them in
Washington, where they are seined in
the lakes and shipped to Chicago and to
nearby western states. In Alaska prac-
tically no use has yet been made of them
except as food by the natives who catch
them. They could be both canned and
salted in Alaska. They are a delicious
fish and will compare very favorably
with the Great Lakes whitefish.

SMELT — There are several species of
smelt found along the Pacific coast, all
of wrhich are used as food. Some species
run up the rivers to spawn in the spring
in incredible numbers, while others spawn
in the surf in late summer. While con-
siderable commercial fishing is carried on
at various places, the most important is
on the Cowlitz River, near the town of
Kelso, in Washington, the fish being
shipped from here in ice to various nec-
tions of the country.

Various efforts have been made to pre-
pare them by such methods as will premit
of their being kept for a considerable
period, thus making it possible to vastly
expand the industry, which is now much
restricted by the shortness of the season,
which compels the dealers to dump them
frequently onto the overloaded fresh fish
markets at unremunerative prices. About
three or four years ago a company was
organized in Washington for the purpose
of dehydrating or removing the water from
the smelt, and then packing the fish so
prepared in sealed pasteboard boxes.
When desired for cooking the fish were to
be placed in fresh water and in 30 minutes
they would absorb sufficient moisture to
make them virtually the same as fresh
fish. The company did not get beyond the
experimental stage, but the author tested
some of the fish so prepared and found
them to be excellent.

A few years ago Puget Sound fishermen
began the drying of smelt for export to
Japan and met with a considerable meas-
ure of success.

This year some smelt were canned on
the Cowlitz River, and it is reported the
resulting product was very good.

The installation of freezing facilities
nearby would enable the dealers to freeze
and hold for limited periods large quanti-
ties of these delicious fishes.

EULACIION (Thalc-irlilhifK pacificus) —
This delicious fish, which is also known
as the candlefish, is not in as common use
as it ought to be. Because of its oiliness
it has always been a favorite with the
natives, who extract an oil or grease from
it, this forming their favorite condiment.
Through lack of enterprise the white
fishermen have done very little to extend
the market for it.

The species is very abundant in the
rivers of British Columbia, and is also
found in many of our streams from the
Columbia River northward. They appear
in the spring in immense numbers and at
this time are extremely fat, so much so
that when dried it is said their bodies
will burn like candles.

Several attempts have been made to
prepare the oil obtained from the fish as
a substitute for cod-liver oil in medicine.
Unfortunately, at ordinary temperatures
the oil becomes semi-solid or lard-like, and
has to be heated in order to flow like oil.

It is an excellent pan fish, being ex-
tremely well flavored. It does not bear
transportation in a fresh condition very
well. One of the most satisfactory ways
of preparing it is by pickling, in which
condition it can be handled and kept in
good condition for a considerable period.
It is not good for canning, as the flesh
drops from the bones after cooking, and
when the can is opened the contents
present a much jumbled and uninviting
appearance. If they were smoked before
being canned they might hold up better.
Thoy could also be frozen and held for
as long as desired in this condition.

CAPELIN (Mallotus villosus) — This spe-
cies is closely related to the eulachon, and
also resembles it in general appearance.
It is very abundant in Alaska, where it
spawns in the surf during the late sum-
mer. The natives are the chief consumers
of this fish, despite the fact that it is one
of the choicest fishes to be found in our
waters.

FLAT FISHES — There are various spe-
cies of Pacific fishes which go under this
designation, and while a few of them find
their way to certain markets on this
coast, the great majority are thrown back
into the sea when taken in any of the
forms of apparatus. Included amongst
the flat fishes is the deep sea sole, found

Pacific (Joast Fishery Resources.

on the outer banks off our coast. These
compare favorably with the famous sole
so popular with English consumers. Sev-
eral species of flounders are also exceed-
ingly abundant in these waters. *

Various efforts have been made to
profitably operate the otter trawl on the
coastal banks between Oregon and
Alaska, and the chief difficulty experi-
enced has been in finding a market for the
large quantity of flat fishes caught. Until
a western market has been built up the
best method will be to freeze the fish and
ship them to eastern markets. It would
doubtless pay at present to freeze the
deep sea sole and ship it to England if
freight space can be secured on the trans-
Atlantic steamers. Extended investiga-
tions have shown that frozen flat fishes
are practically the same as fresh fish
when thawed out after being frozen even
for two years.

TROUTS — In Alaska are to be found
enormous numbers of Dolly Varden trout,
and lesser numbers of rainbow, cutthroat
and Great Lakes trout. The Dolly Var-
den trout are the deadliest enemies the
salmon have in Alaskan waters, as they
devour both the eggs and the young. Ow-
ing to their being classed in the states as
game fish, it has been almost impossible,
until within the last couple of years, to
find a market for them in a fresh or
frozen condition. At present the state
of Washington, thanks to the broad-
mindedness of Fish Commissioner Darwin,
permits their sale in the local markets.
A few hundred cases are canned annually
in Alaska, and these are prepared in the
same manner as salmon. If medium-
sized fish were selected and packed whole
in one and two-pound oval cans, they would
present a more inviting appearance, and
I believe a big trade in them could be
built up throughout the country, as a
trout label would be a novelty in the
East, and also one to conjure with, as
the name stands for a choice article in
the minds of the people.

SHARKS AND SKATES — Many sharks,
under which head is included the greyfish
(formerly known as the dogfish), are to
be found on this coast, and in some sec-
tions have been utilized as food for a
number of years. The IT. S. Bureau of
Fisheries' greyfish publicity campaign
focussed the attention of the public more
particularly upon this species and has
considerably increased the consumption.
We question whether it will ever com-
mand the serious attention of fish con-
noisseurs in this country, but it should
prove, as it has in the past on this coast,
a useful member of the brigade of low-

priced fishes. The sharks stand canning-
very well, but are not so satisfactory
when dry-salted, as the flesh is apt to
turn yellow because of the excess of oil
in it.

The skates, or rays, which have better
keeping qualities than almost any other
kind of fish, have also been utilized in
those sections of this coast where emi-
grants from south Europe congregate.
In San Francisco the French and Italians
frequently buy it, and as "raie au baurre
noir" it forms a popular dish. In
Seattle it is also popular with the
Italians, Austrians and orientals. The
fishermen of this coast could increase their
offerings of sharks and skates many hun-
dreds of times over the present supply
should the demand justify it.

The Alaska Pollock (Thcragra chalco-
gramma} is very abundant in Alaska
waters, while a related species T. fueensis,
is found along the Washington coast
and as far south as Monterey Bay. The
former is a favorite article of diet with
the cod and fur seal. Although quite
palatable, especially in the fresh state,
very few are so utilized at present as
human food, due almost wholly to the
presence in Alaska of other and better
known species. It can be pickled easilv.
The species reaches a length of 3 feet,
although the average is more nearly about
half this.

The Hake (Mcrlncciiis productus) is a
fairly large fish found throughout the
greater part of this coast, but it is only
in California that it is used to any
extent as food. They are quite abundant
and could be caught in vastly larger
quantities than is at present the case.
It pickles well.

LAMPREYS — Lampreys are to be found
in great, abundance on this coast, and
while they are too highly flavored to
serve as food for most consumers, there
are -few places where they meet with
favor. If not used as food, they could be
rendered, the oil obtained and fish meal
made from the residue. A reduction in
their numbers would be of great benefit
to. the fisheries, for by preying upon other
and better flavored species they do an
enormous amount of harm.

But few persons now appreciate the
extraordinary estimation in which this
fish was long held. Royal edicts have
been published in England regulating
the price of the dainty when the cupidity
of fishmongers threatened to send it up
beyond the purses of the rich. Henry IV
granted protection to such ships as
brought over lampreys for the table of his
Royal Consort, while his successor issued
a warrant to William of Nantes to supply

California War Papers.

him and his army with lampreys whenever
they should happen to march. Henry I
died of a surfeit of lampreys. King John
sent special agents to the Continent to
purchase lampreys. A single lamprey was
made a present from the Earl of Chester
to King John who, in return, sent a good
palfrey. Gloucester city used at one time
to send every Christmas a dish of lam-
preys to the sovereign, and a pie of the
same fishes to the Prince of Wales.

ATKA MACKEREL (Pleurogrammus mon-
optcrygius) is found in large schools,
mainly along the Aleutian chain. The
codfish vessels find schools frequently
when fishing around the Shumagin
Islands. The fish, which averages about
2| pounds in weight, is rather hard to
cure properly, but when the work has been
well done it is delicious in flavor. In the
early days of the Nome rush, when the
steamers made regular stops at Dutch
Harbor for coal, a sm;ill business was
maintained by the natives of Unalaska in
selling pickled Atka mackerel to them, but
when the vessels ceased making it. a port
of. call the business died out. Recently
sample lots have been pickled and sent to
the states r.s samples with most gratifying
results. Many thousands of pounds could
be packed if the market demands justified
it. As the fish is not a mackerel at all,
and bears no resemblance to. one, it having
acquired the name because of a fancied
resemblance in flavor to -the real mackerel,
the F. S. Bureau of Fisheries has sug-
gested Atkafish as a more appropriate
name for it.

BLACKFISH (Dallia, pectoraUs) — This
species, which is peculiar to the Kuskok-
wim and Yukon deltas, and the Nushagak
region, in Alaska, does not exceed 5 or 8
inches in length, and is one of the most
nutritious and toothsome fishes found in
Alaskan waters. The species is exceed-
ingly tenacious of life, living for weeks
at a time entirely without food. It is also
reported that the natives frequently catch
them in the wintertime, freeze them in the
open, place them in baskets, which are
stored in the caches elevated on wooden
supports to lift them beyond the reach of
the dogs, and when needed the fish are
thawed out in water, when many of them
come to life again.

The muscle of the fish contains a con-
siderable quantity of oil which could be
extracted and used for various purposes.
The fish could also be canned or pickled,
in which condition a demand might be
created for them.

SCULPINS (Vottidce) — Sculpins are
quite abundant everywhere along the coast,
and are almost invariably thrown back

when brought to the surface in the nets or
taken on the hooks. This is due mainly
to the, at first, repulsive appearance of the
fish to the fishermen, and to the belief
generally prevalent that there is but little
flesh on its body, and what little there is
is far from palatable. As to the reputed
ugliness of its appearance, that is soon
dispelled in considerable measure by a
closer inspection, some of the species, and
more particularly the "Irish Lord," being
really beautifully marked. The flesh of
practically all members of the genera is
excellent, and as one species, Scorp&nich-
thi/s marmoratus, found on the California
coast, attains a length of 24 feet, it may
easily be seen that not only this one, but
those much smaller in size, would yield
much in the way of food were they saved.

SURF FISHES, OR PERCHES — A few of
these, especially the species commonly
known as the "blue perch," are sold in the
coast markets. They are very common on
our coast and in shape resemble somewhat
the eastern sunfishes. Were the demand
sufficient, the catch of these fishes could be
increased manyfold.

The cultus cod (OpJiiodon elongatus),
several species of sea bass, known locally
as red rock cod (Scbastodes rubcrrimus) ,
Sitka black bass (Spbastodes melanops) ,
etc., are excellent food fishes and are to
be found in abundance along our coasts
and in Alaska. Most of them now find a
limited market in the coast towns, but
eventually they will be shipped to all sec-
tions of the West, as their food qualities
become better known.

FISHING OFFAL — The most remarkable
instance of wholesale waste of fishery
products is to be seen in connection with
the great salmon industry of this coast.
In 1915 some 435,973,290 pounds of sal-
mon were used in a fresh condition, and
in canning, pickling, mild-curing, freezing,
smoking, etc. Estimating the loss in
dressing these salmon at 30 per cent, a
most conservative one, gives us the enor-
mous total of 65',395 tons of offal. With
the exception of about 15,000 tons which
were used at a few small plants, all of
this enormous total was thrown back into
the water, thus wasting valuable material.
For various reasons, not all of this mate-
rial could be saved, but the amount that
could be worked up into merchantable
products would surprise most of my
readers. This offal would make excellent
fish meal, fertilizer and oil.

A few unthinking persons have blamed
the cannerymen for not having done this
years ago, but they must be acquitted of
most of the blame. For once American
inventive genius has lagged behind. In

Pacific Coast Fishery Resources.

the East, where the preparation of fish
scrap and oil from nonedible species is an
old and important industry, large plants
have been established for the rendering of
the fish. On this coast, where nonedible
species are rare, fish offal has been the
usual source of supply, and as the pack-
ing establishments are generally scattered
widely large plants could not be utilized,
owing to the heavy expense of bringing the
offal such long distances. As a result a
small plant, capable of handling the refuse
from a plant packing from 50,000 to
100,000 cases, was needed, and this is not
yet available at a reasonable cost.

During the last two years more atten-
tion has> been devoted to the manufacture
of fish meal than to that of fertilizer.
For this work the freshest scrap is em-
ployed in the process. Most manufac-
turers sell the fish meal to others, who
prepare poultry and cattle feed by mixing
it with other ingredients. So much care
is used in preparing the fish meal, and so
palatable a product is produced, that it
is only a question of time when the prod-
uct will be used for human food as well
as for animals.

Both the eggs and melt of the salmon
could also be worked up into marketable
products if the proper attention was given
to the matter, thus increasing our food
resources by some millions of pounds.

MOLLUSKS.

OYSTERS — The oyster industry of the
Pacific coast, which should be one of the
best in the country, has been in a languish-
ing condition for some years. In Cali-
fornia, where it was once an important
industry, it has been on the down grade
for some years, due mainly to the many
polluting agencies at work. In Oregon
but little effort has been put forth in the
past to increase the state's natural re-
sources of this valuable bivalve.

In Washington much intelligent effort
has been put forth by the growers to solve
the many problems (most of which are
peculiar to this coast) which have con-
fronted them and impeded their efforts,
with the happy result that the industry is
now rapidly attaining to a prominent
place amongst the state's fishery resources.
The system of diking the beds, thus pre-
venting the possibility of the oysters being
killed by a freeze coincident with a low
tide, has had more to do with the preserva-
tion and increase of the industry in Wash-
ington than any other one thing.

Almost from the inception of the in-
dustry we have had to depend for our
supplies of eastern oysters upon yearly
shipments of seed oysters from the east

coast, as for many years the eastern
oyster, when transplanted to this coast,
did not breed. Several years ago, how-
ever, it was discovered that the eastern
oysters had begun breeding in Willapa
Harbor, and efforts are now being put
forth by the State Fish and Oyster Com-
mission of Washington to transplant this
hardy variety ta other waters of the
state, which, if it is successful, will result
in greatly increasing the production while
at the same time reducing the cost very
materially.

The native oyster industry is also in
a rather languishing condition, and needs
vigorous aid from both the federal and
state governments in order to put it upon
a proper footing. The production of both
eastern and native oysters could easily be
quadrupled if the proper aid were extended
to the industry.

MUSSELS — All along the Pacific coast
are to be found immense beds of several
species of mussels, most of them so situ-
ated that there is practically no danger of
contamination from any source. For
many years mussels in the shell have
been a common sight in the leading fish
markets of the coast, and more particu-
larly in San Francisco and Seattle, but
they have never come into general use as
a food product elsewhere. The flesh of the
mussel is orange colored, and, unlike the
oyster, in cooking does not shrivel up.

In developing a demand for mussels the
principal line of expansion will undoubt-
edly be in the canning of them. Several
years ago a small cannery at Smith River,
in northern California, put up several
experimental packs, but owing to the lack
of capital for publicity work, the business
languished, and upon the death of the
owner a few months ago ceased alto-
gether. In this condition they were far
superior to the canned cove oysters of
the East.

There are many ways in which both
the fresh and canned mussels may be
prepared for the table, the best collection
of such recipes being issued by the U. S.
Bureau of Fisheries as Economic Circular
No. 12, "!Sea mussels : What they are
and how to cook them, with eighteen
recipes."

Mussels are also valuable for the pro-
duction of fertilizer, the so-called "mussel
mud" constituting one of the best fertil-
izers known. It is found in places where
the mussel beds are exposed to constantly
depositing silt, which slowly destroys the
mollusks and buries them beneath their
offspring.

CLAMS — The canning of razor clams
has become an established and important

10

California War Papers.

industry on this coast. For many years
it was carried on solely in Washington
and Oregon. Some few years ago, in my
annual reports to the U. S. Bureau, of
Fisheries on the "Fisheries of Alaska," I
called repeated attention to the fact that
I had personally found clams in nearly
every section of Alaska outside of the
Arctic, and that it was credibly reported
that there were large beds along the Arc-
tic coast, and that some day they would
prove a source of wealth to the territory,
and especially recommended the canning
of them. The razor clam (Machcera
patula) was especially abundant in south-
east and central Alaska, while the inud
clam (propably Panopea generosa) was
to be found in the same regions. These
statements met the eyes of some of the
coast canners, who were finding difficulty
in securing sufficient raw material
nearby, with the result that one of them
opened a plant at Cordova in 1915.
This plant met with such success that at
present there are four or five now oper-
ating in that vicinity, and these had a
combined pack of 6,43(J cases in 1916,
and it would not surprise me to see the
number of plants quadrupled in a few
years as the location of other beds
becomes better known.

COCKLES — Beds of cockles, sometimes
called scallops in Alaska, are known to
exist in Funter Bay, on Admiralty
Island, and in Dry Strait, near W range! ,
in southeast Alaska, and would probably
be found in many other places if syste-
matic search were made. They are eaten
but not sold. The basket cockle (Car-
ditim corbis) is common on this coast and
can be seen at times in the markets of the
Northwest, but so far the supply has
been greater than the demand.

SCALLOPS — Several species are found
on the Pacific coast, all of which are
edible, although but few find their way
to the markets. An odd feature in con-
nection with this animal is that we eat
only the adductor muscle, a white and
tender morsel. The soft flesh of the body
is thrown away. Many of the shells are
made into souvenirs and sold in curio
stores. Unlike most of the other bivalves,
the scallop is able to move from place to
place, and sometimes makes quite long
journeys. In 1914 the U. S. Fisheries
Steamer Albatross discovered a bed of
scallops off the Oregon coast, and it is
probable many other beds will be dis-
covered when a systematic search is made.

DONAX — On our southern California
coast is found Donax levigata, a short
and stumpy molliisk, cut nearly off at

one end, and tapering to a rounded point
at the other, and less than an inch in
length. In color the shells vary from
white to purple, and are often beautifully
striped. It lives just under the surface
of the sand. A very similar Atlantic
species is thrown alive in millions upon
the Florida beaches in March and April,
and it is probable that the same phenome-
non occurs on this coast at about the
same time. Some twenty years ago a
few were canned in southern California.
They make an excellent soup, the mol-
lusks — shells and all — being thrown into
a pot of boiling water, from which the
shells are later removed and thrown
away. The soup so made is canned by
one of the Florida operators.

CEPHALOPODS — The most abundant
species of the Cephalopods on the Pacific
coast is the Octopus (Polypus hongkong-
ensis), which varies from small specimens
found in shoal water to very large ones
found in the deep sea. A limited fishery
is carried on for them on Puget Sound
and along the California coast, the result-
ing catch being disposed of to the orientals
living on the coast. Frequently they are
sun-dried, no salt being used, and in this
condition will keep for some time. They
are used almost exclusively in the manu-
facture of an extremely nourishing soup.

SQUID — The common squid of the Cali-
fornia coast is Loligo opalcscens. At one
time there was a very important Chinese
fishery for these animals, but overfishing
almost killed it. The fishery is also
prosecuted in Puget Sound to a small
extent, and many of the mollusks are
sold in the sound markets, generally under
the name of "inkfish." There is room
for a considerable expansion of the fishery
in the Northwest. They are generally
utilized in the same way as octopi.

CHITONS — -There are a number of species
of chitons found on this coast, and they are
odd looking mollusks. The shell consists
of eight parts instead of a single shield.
These parts, or valves, run across the
body and overlap one another, like shin-
gles on a roof. They are highest in the
center, and end in a leathern mantle
which runs around the body, and which is
highly contractile. They are sluggish
creatures, and live in cracks and crannies
of the rock or else under stones. They
vary in length from half an inch to one
species which attains a length of nearly
a foot.

Most of them are edible, this being
especially true of the Black Chiton
(Katherina tunicata), which the writer
has gathered and eaten in Alaska. In

Pacific Coast Fishery Resources.

11

that section the soft parts are salmon-
colored and are eaten raw by the natives.
It 'is generally called the "gum boot,"
from its shape.

The Giant Chiton (Cryptocliitoii stel-
Icri], found on the California coast,
attains sometimes a length of ten inches.
When properly cleaned and dried the
mantle and valves much resemble a toy
boat, and find a ready sale in the curio
stores. They have also been made into
shades for electric lamps.

ABALONE — This mollusk is put to two
uses in California : the fleshy part is used
as food, either fresh, dried or canned,
while the shell is used for ornamental
purposes. In more northern waters is
found the Japanese abalone (Haliotis
gigantea}, which up to the present has
been practically ignored, although it is
fully as valuable from an edible stand-
point as its southerly relatives, and as
the latter are rapidly decreasing in
abundance it will doubtless soon become
an object of pursuit to the fishermen of
AVashington, British Columbia and
Alaska.

CRUSTACEANS.

SHRIMPS AND PRAWNS — These crusta-
ceans are in quite general use in the coast
states, but their pursuit has been
neglected in Alaska.

Shrimp are found in a number of
places in southeast Alaska, being fairly
abundant at times in the vicinity of
Wrangel, while the investigations of the
Albatross have shown that they are
abundant in the waters of central Alaska,
south of the Alaska Peninsula. During
the month of July, 1913, I found large
numbers in the stomachs of cod delivered
by the fishermen at Pirate Cove, on Popof
Island, in the Shumagin Islands. They
have been reported from a few places in
western Alaska. As the discovery of the
presence of shrimp in Alaska has been
what we might term accidental, it is
probable that other, and even more pro-
lific, grounds would be found if sought for
specifically.

Prawns have been found in southeast
Alaska, in the vicinity of Wrangel.
Some prospecting was done in 1909 and
a few of these crustaceans, known to the
fishermen of Puget Sound as "big-spots"
(which average 5 inches in length),
"coon-stripes" (2 inches in length), and
"pinks" (1 to 11 inches in length) were
gathered. Later investigations disclosed
them in abundance in this vicinity and
considerable quantities are now shipped
right along in a boiled and dried condi-

tion, the shells, when the crustaceans are
prepared in the last named manner, being-
sold as fertilizer. They will undoubtedly
be found in other parts of the territory
when search is made for them with the
proper apparatus.

CRABS — The "Dungeness" crab (Can-
cer magister) inhabits the Pacific coast
and ranges from Alaska to Lower Cali-
fornia. It is becoming scarce in the
regions from California to British Colum-
bia, but is exceedingly abundant in
Alaska, and for many years the residents
have been catching and eating them. In
1909 the business of catching and ship-
ping them to Puget Sound was first under-
taken. In the beginning all were shipped
alive, packed in seaweed, but so many
died on the way or arrived in bad condi-
tion that finally all were boiled before
being shipped. They were shipped during
the summer months when a closed season
on AVashington crabs prevailed. Owing
to certain peculiar conditions prevailing
on the sound in 1913, none were shipped
from Alaska in that year, and the busi-
ness has not been resumed since.

The Red crab (C. productus), like the
other, is of a large size and is found from
Alaska to the Gulf of California. In
color the animal is dark red above and
yellowish beneath in the adults, but vari-
able in the young. It inhabits rocky shores
and is captured in the same way as <7.
magister. This is an edible crab, and
wrill doubtless be much sought after soon
as a result of the growing scarcity of
C. magister.

Owing to the cheapness and abundance
of the canned crabs imported from Japan,
the business of canning them has lan-
guished on this coast, but as crabs are
said to be decreasing in Japanese waters
it may be that eventually our" packers
will be able to do some business in this
line.

BARNACLES — The giant barnacle (Bal-
anus cvcrmanni), occurring in great pro-
fusion in the northern section of Puget
Sound, and possibly elsewhere on the
coast, are very delicious in flavor, and
when boiled fresh in hot water are just
as palatable as shrimp, crab or clam. As
they will stand shipment for long dis-
tances, they would be especially suitable
for marketing in the Middle AVest. They
are as easy to can as oysters. Specimens
are frequently found of a height of six
inches and a diameter of five inches.

CRAWFISH — This small freshwater
crustacean is quite common in the sloughs
of the AArilliamette River and its tribu-
taries, in Oregon, and also in many of the

12

California War Papers.

other freshwater streams of the Pacific
coast. They weigh 1^ to 2 pounds to
the dozen and are taken in small hoop
nets similar to eel pots. When they can
not be shipped alive the usual custom has
been to place them alive in a preparation
of white wine and spices and boil them
for about ten minutes. The crawfish and
the liquor in which they have been boiled
are next packed in tin buckets holding
from 2 to 3 dozen each.

INVERTEBRATES.

SEA CUCUMBER — The Holothurian,
known commonly as the sea cucumber, is
a very abundant animal everywhere on
this coast, but no use is made of it as
yet, and as a result we are losing many
thousands of dollars annually. In the
South Seas immense quantities are pre-
pared for market by boiling and smoking,
the resulting product being known as
beche-de-mer, or trepang. It is highly
prized by orientals, who prepare a most
delicious soup from it. In 1913 it fetched
as high as $512 a ton in China, the prin-
cipal market for the product.

The sea cucumber is cylindrical in
form, but has the power of changing its
shape in a surprising manner. It is
found in the sea from low water mark
to a depth of several fathoms, and grows
from 3 to 18 inches in length. They are
especially abundant in the shallow waters
along the shores of southeast Alaska in
May and June.

In preparing it for the Chinese market
the animals are taken straight ashore,
split open with a knife and the viscera
taken out, and are then boiled in a deep
iron try-pot. Previously a substantial
drying shed has been built, walled in
from the winds on every side, and only
the narrowest of entrances left. Within
should be constructed a platform of shut-
ters of reed or other grass, raised some
four or five feet above the floor. On these
the holothurians, after the boiling pro-
cess, are laid out to dry in a dense column
of smoke which a carefully tended fire of
driftwood below sends up night and day.
When thoroughly cured, in the course of
which process they undergo considerable
shrinkage, the animals, according to their
class, are put into sacks, and are then
reauy for shipment. They must be kept
dry at all times, as they spoil very rap-
idly with the least damp.

By a quite tedious preparation of strip-
ping and soaking, the beche-de-mer is made
into a delicious gelatinous soup, which has
most invigorating properties for invalids.

Beche-de-mer is consumed in this coun-
try only by orientals, but whites would

find it excellent were they to try it. It
is frequently served at many restaurants
in Paris. In the Hawaiian Islands it is
frequently eaten by the natives, who half
boil the large ones to make them soft,
while the small ones are eaten fresh. The
boiled ones are chopped up in slices and
mixed with the meat of the sea egg.

SEA URCHIN — The sea urchin, or sea
egg, which is quite abundant on this coast,
will some day be an article of economic
importance. At present a few are gath-
ered and the meat eaten by Japanese in
California and by natives in Alaska. It
is an important item of food in the
Hawaiian Islands.

The sea urchins abound in all seas and
vary remarkably in shape, from the curi-
ous flat sand-dollar found on our coast
all the way up to big urchins, five inches
across, with long, variously colored needle-
like spines six inches in length, also found
on our coast as far north as the Arctic
Ocean. The spines vary in length from
slight excrescenses to those noted above.

The animals are very gregarious and
frequently are so crowded together as to
literally pave the surface of rocks. In
many instances the animals hollow out
cavities in the rocks in which they seek
shelter against the powerful surf continu-
ally beating against the rocks.

In many countries it constitutes an im-
portant item of food, especially along the
Mediterranean coast, where it is called
the sea egg. In the markets they are
deftly opened by the fishwives, the left
hand being protected against the sharp
spines by a stout cloth wrapped around it.
The stomach sac is cut out and the fine
orange-colored eggs in the center exposed
and handed upon the shell to the cus-
tomer. In the Mediterranean the eggs are
only to be found in the urchin between
the months of October and March, and
the same will probably be found to be true
about the species found on this coast.

They are generally captured by means
of a cleft stick, with which the fisherman
pokes about in their haunts, and by
diving.

In the Pacific Islands the missionaries
used as slate pencils the spines of the
large urchins. An indelible ink can be
prepared by grinding to powder the sand-
dollar found on our coast and mixing it
with some liquid. The latter also make
excellent bait for various species of fish.

AQUATIC MAMMALS.

WHAI.E MEAT — In 1914 I stated in a
paper read before the Pacific Fisheries
Society that "In Japan whale meat is of
considerable economic importance as a

Pacific Coast Fishery Resources.

13

food product, the tail and adjacent parts
and the soft piece under the eye being the
choicest portions. It has much the flavor
and appearance of beef. There are sev-
eral whaling stations in operation on this
coast, nearly all of which ship the portions
mentioned to Japan. Could the prejudice
against the whale meat be overcome it
would prove a most important addition to
our national larder."*

Today whale meat can be had in San
Francisco and Seattle, and is meeting-
wit h such favor that it is question of
but a short time when it will be in quite
general use. The flesh somewhat resem-
bles beef, and, contrary to the belief
widely prevalent amongst the uninformed,
is does not have a fishy flavor. The ani-
mal is not a fish, but is a true mammal.

There are at present two whaling sta-
tions in Alaska, and one each in Wash-
ington and California, respectively, and
almost unlimited quantities of wholesome
whale meat could be produced if the mar-
ket demand justified it. The flesh from
the flukes of the tail is the portion gener-
ally sent to market.

A few years ago, as an experiment, one
of the operators prepared a paste from
the flesh of the whale, which the writer
had the pleasure of sampling and found
it to be fully the equal of any meat paste.
Leather has been made from the intes-
tines and stomach walls of the whale, and
compares most favorably with other light
and fancy leathers.

At present all of the blubber and bones,
and most of the meat, are employed in
the preparation of oil, fertilizer and whale
meal, the latter being utilized, with other
ingredients, in the manufacture of poultry
food.

Several plants are now in operation in
Alaska for the purpose of capturing the
Beluga, or white whale. These mammals
are especially abundant in certain parts
of Alaska, notably Cook Inlet, Bristo
Bay, and the neighborhood of Nome. At
present only the skin is utilized, but there
is no reason why the flesh of this whal
should not be utilized for food, the sam
as is now being done with the flesh from
the sulphurbottom, humpback and finback
whales.

PORPOISES — These mammals are wholl
neglected on the Pacific coast as produc
ers of edible food, although they are ex
ceedingly abundant, and their flesh is ai
choice as that of the whales, to whicl
great family the porpoises also belong
The porpoise was accounted a great tabl
delicacy in the Middle Ages, when m

uglish table of the first order was
bought to be royally spread without
hem. They, with the dolphin, were
erved at a magnificent banquet prepared
or Richard II ; they figured at the wed-

ing supper of Henry V, and at the coro-
lation feast of Henry VII. Queen Eliza-
>eth was extremely fond of them, boiled
>r roasted and made into puddings or

ies, the "seasoning of which demanded
i marvelous miscellany of ingredients in

bedience to the canons of taste then pre-
*ailing." The monks of Dumfermline,
Scotland, had a grant from Malcolm IV

f the heads of porpoises caught in the
forth, except the tongues. In the four-
eenth century the porpoise was, by stat-
Jte. declared, along with seals, whales,
ind dolphins, royal fishes, and the crown
lad the right to these denizens of the
deep when secured within three miles of
the shores, or "in creeks or arms of the
sea, for if taken in the wide seas they
belong to the taker."

HAIR SEALS — Many thousands of hair
seals frequent this coast, especially in
Alaska, and if properly hunted I believe
the industry could be made a profitable
one, as the hides make excellent leather.
A considerable reduction in the numbers
of these animals would greatly benefit the
salmon industry, as they annually destroy
millions of these valuable fishes.

ALG.ZE.

Despite the fact that the seaweed
resources of this coast are not surpassed
by those of any other, they are practically
ignored. A number of the native tribes
gather, prepare and eat considerable quan-
tities of seaweed, while small quantities
are prepared by the oriental fishermen
operating along the west coast for food,
medicine and fertilizer.

Dulse (Rhodymenia palmata) is quite
common on our Northwest coast, and is
an article of diet amongst the Washington
and Alaska natives. The natives of
Alaska usually gather dulse in the sum-
mer, dry it in the sun, press it in boxes,
and then put it away for winter use.
Other species of this genus grow on the
west coast, while several other alga3
known as dulse in Europe and used in the
same way as Rhodymenia, are represented
by various species on our west coast.
Dulse is frequently eaten as a relish in
New England by the whites, and is also
in quite general use in Ireland.

Vegetable isinglass could be prepared
from Gelidium corn&um, an alga which

*Neglected Fishery Resources of the Pacific Coast. By John N. Cobb. Trans.
Pacific Fish. Soc. for 1914, pp. 1-11.

14

California War Papers.

grows in abundance on our coast ; this
species is identical with the one from
which the Japanese prepare their vegeta-
ble isinglass. Other species (G. coulteri
and G. cartilagineumn) exist on the coast
of California.

One form of agar-agar, now so exten-
sively used in making culture media in
bacteriological work, could also be pre-
pared from Gelidium.

Laver (Porphyra laciniata) is found in
abundance along our entire coast, but is
not collected, except sparingly, by Chinese,
although large quantities are imported by
orientals living in this country. Laver
grows abundantly in bays and near river
mouths. In Japan this alga is cultivated
and most of the crop is sun-dried. The
green .laver, or sea lettuce ( Viva latis-
sima), which is abundant on all our
coasts, is eaten in Scotland, and is also
eaten with meat or as greens by native
tribes of our Northwest coast.

The giant kelp (Nereocystis lutkeana)
is found in great profusion on the Pacific
coast from southern California north-
ward. The natives of this coast have
made considerable use of this alga, while
curios are made from the various portions
of the plant and sold to tourists visiting
California.

In 1906 two professors of the Univer-
sity of Washington invented a process 'for
making a product resembling citron from
the giant kelp. When made from the bulb
it was a diffic-ult matter to detect the dif-
ference between it and the real citron.
The flavor was, of course, artificial.

Numerous species of Laminaria exist
on the northern part of this coast, and the
only use to which the plants are now put
is for fertilizer. Many of these could be
prepared in various ways as food and
would doubtless meet with an encouraging
reception if properly introduced.

Many species of algae identical with or
similar to those used in Scotland, France
and Japan in the manufacture of iodine
abound on our Northwest coast, but are
never used for this purpose, despite the

fact that this country is a large consumer
of iodine, and its preparation in crude
form is a comparatively simple matter.

Nearly all marine algae contain iodine,
but a few have such a comparatively large
quantity that they are used almost exclu-
sively. The Atlantic kelp yields the high-
est percentage of iodine, while the Pacific
kelp yields a much higher percentage of
potash, five or six times as much as the
Atlantic kelp.

During the extraction of iodine, algin,
cellulose, dextrin, mannite, potash, chlo-
ride of potassium, and carbonate of soda
are also produced. As this country im-
ports annually about $13,000,000 worth of
potash, all of which could be produced
from seaweed, we are criminally wasting
our resources.

Several immense plants are now being
operated in southern California, extract-
ing the potash and other chemicals from
kelp, the latter being gathered by kelp
harvesters, immense barges fitted forward
with knives for cutting the kelp and end-
less belts for bringing the severed stalks
aboard. A couple of small plants are also
in operation on Puget Sound.

As a direct fertilizer fresh seaweeds
have been in use for many years by farm-
ers living on or near the Atlantic coast,
but very little use has been made of it in
this manner on this coast.

Owing to its large content of water the
total quantity of fertilizing ingredients in
plants is very small in proportion to the
weight of the material. As the plants
decompose rapidly, and the water sepa-
rates from them quickly, during which
operations the fertilizing constituents,
especially the nitrogen, wastes away in
the process, it is important that the plants
be used within as short a time as practi-
cable after they have been collected.

Seaweeds have a mechanical action on
the soil, tending to make it friable and
binding its constituents together. They
also have an advantage over barnyard
manure in the freedom from seeds of land
weeds.

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JUN 1

CIRC

MAY

LD 21-100m-9)'481B399sl6)476

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY