September 9, 1882 Contra Costa Gazette
Waste of Salmon.
Thousands of decaying fish floating in the rivers and bays.
The fall catch of salmon commenced September 1st, and since that day the canneries have all been actively engaged. At Black's establishment there is a force of seventy men employed and the same number are at work at Kendall and Shield's. Yet, even with this large force, the canneries cannot take all the salmon that are offered. The markets are glutted. In San Francisco over 30,000 salmon have been dumped into the bay, and doubtless at least 50,000 have been thrown overboard at points between Martinez and Sacramento. A large proportion of this waste has been caused by the criminal greed of many of the fishermen. There is no doubt that hundreds of them caught fish the day before the season opened. There was scarcely a boat that did not average from 100 to 300 fish last Friday morning. One boat brought in a load of 450 – an unprecedented catch – which can only be accounted for upon the supposition that at least one half of them were caught the day before the season opened. The result of this wholesale violation of the law was disastrous. Thousands of the fish were spoiled before they could be placed in the market, and were dumped back into their native element. The stench around portions of the water front at San Francisco is reported as sickening, but it is fully equaled by the unsavory smell from decaying fish in portions of the waters above Martinez. It is a very remarkable fact that while the enforcement of other laws is considered necessary, both the people and their officers seem to conspire, by their indifference, to the bold and unblushing violation of the fishing regulations. Salmon at present are bringing forty cents each, wholesale, and within a few days will doubtless be worth sixty cents. The fall run lasts but a few weeks and the supply is already being sensibly diminished.