66 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 



up and the stations are closed; and even during the active period there are many days when, because of 

 bad weather, it is useless to go out, as it is impossible to shoot a whale when the sea is rough. This in 

 itself acts as an automatic close season. At the present it does not seem that any legislation in the way 

 of a close season on whales is necessary. 



There has been much discussion concerning the effect the killing of whales might have on the supply 

 of herring and salmon. But there is no reason for believing that the presence of whales has any impor- 

 tant influence upon the run of fish. Whales subsist largely upon small crustaceans and other animal life 

 found in the water, and while they may occasionally steal upon a school of salmon or herring with the 

 result of driving them closer inshore, the total effect of such activities on the part of the whales is in all 



probability small. 



TROUT. 



In addition to the five species of salmon, there are several varieties of trout found in Alaska, among 

 which are the Dolly Varden, steelhead, rainbow, and cutthroat. All these are excellent food fishes, and the 

 Dolly Varden and steelhead are at present utilized to a considerable extent for commercial purposes. 

 There is, however, a decided prejudice against them, amounting in places to a desire for their extermina- 

 tion, owing to their destructive habit of preying upon the eggs and fry of the salmon. In some sections 

 drastic steps are being taken to destroy them. Until more definite information is at hand in regard to 

 the amount of damage caused by these fish, activities in respect to them should take the form of utiliza- 

 tion for economic purposes rather than destroying them. 



The value of the Dolly Varden trout for food purposes has already been established, but it would 

 hardly seem that the possibilities of its future have been realized. This fish is to all intents and purposes 

 the equal of our eastern brook trout, which brings a price of from 50 cents to $i a pound. With this 

 thought in mind, it would seem that the Alaska Dolly Varden can be shipped in cold storage to markets in 

 the east. Last winter one fisherman of southeast Alaska made a shipment of Dolly Vardens in cold storage 

 to Seattle and netted $500 on the venture. It was not long ago that some of the Pacific Coast States 

 forbade the sale of this fish, which prevented their being brought in from Alaska; but since then the law 

 has been properly interpreted and there is nothing to hinder the broadening and building up of this part 

 of the industry. It is strongly advocated that this work be encouraged, instead of allowing the destruction 

 and total waste of this valuable fish. 



The canning of Dolly Varden trout, which is the most abundant of the trouts in Alaska, should be 

 encouraged. Several thousand cases of them have already been packed within the last two or three years, 

 principally on Kotzebue Sound, and they have found a ready market. The steelhead is highly prized for 

 freezing purposes at the cold-storage plants in Alaska, but, unfortunately, the number of them obtained 

 is comparatively small. 



TAXATION. 



The question of taxation is of vital importance to those engaged in the fishing industry, and while 

 undoubtedly the present rates should be changed, any radical revision would be unfair and unwise. The 

 present rate on canned salmon, all kinds, is 4 cents per case; on mild-cured salmon, 40 cents per tierce; 

 on salt salmon in bulk, 5 cents per 100 pounds; on pickled salmon, 10 cents per barrel; fish oil, 10 cents per 

 barrel; and fertilizer, 20 cents per ton. These rates seem too low, but I do not agree with the agitation 

 for an extremely high tariff on such products, for the price usually received does not warrant it. A just 

 and fair revision of this scale is submitted as follows: On canned salmon, king or spring, and sockeye or 

 red, 8 cents per case; humpback or pink, and coho or silver, 6 cents per case; chum or dog, 4 cents per 

 case; mild-cured salmon, $i per tierce; salt salmon in bulk, 10 cents per 100 pounds; pickled salmon, 20 

 cents per barrel; salmon bellies, $i per barrel; whale oil, 20 cents per barrel; whalebone meal, 40 cents per 

 ton; whale fertilizer, 50 cents per ton; whale meal, 75 cents per ton. The propriety of revising the scale 

 of taxation upon canned salmon is readily apparent when cognizance is taken of the varying values of the 

 several kinds of salmon. There may be some objection to the seemingly high tax suggested for salmon 

 bellies, but when it is considered that it takes about 200 fish to make one barrel of bellies the tax suggested 

 is not exorbitant. 



It will be noted that no mention is made of a tax on oil or fertilizer manufactured from fish. This 

 is because it is important that any industry using food fish for that purpose should be restrained from 



