It i5 of course unlikely that the existing Alaska shore plants would 

 permit their fish supply to be diverted by freezei-^ships without offering 

 strenuous competition to retain their supply, or that the residents and 

 the Government of the Territor7 will surrender without protest the import- 

 ant canned salmon industry ii/, 



STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS FOR TUNA VESSELS IN THE SALMON-FREEZING TRADE 



Of the 17 freezer-ships which operated in Alaska in 1952, 6 are known 

 to be tuna vessels, Tvina vessels requ-lre only a moderate amount of con- 

 version to become salmon freezer-ships because tthey already possess refrig- 

 eration and large frozen carrying capacity. The method of freezing used 

 normally by tuna vessels (brine-freezing) has also been adopted by other 

 types of vessels in the salmon freezer-ship industry^ Tuna vessels require 

 alterations mainly to permit carrying the catcher boats and to provide gas- 

 oline storage for the catcher boats and living accommodations for the 

 fishermen who man the catcher boats^ For a tuna vessel using 8 to 10 catcher 

 boats, these modifications are estimated to cost between $4j000 and $6,000 

 depending on the particular vessel. 



Tuna vessels have as much carrying capacity for frozen salmon as they 

 have for tuna. If salmon are received at a fast enough rate to permit load- 

 ing a complete brine well at a tinie^ the brine may be drained off the salmon 

 as soon as they are frozen and the salmon left in that well for dry storage. 

 However, if fish are received at a slow rate, it is necessary to transfer them 

 after they are frozen to another well for dry storage. Since the fish assume 

 contorted positions when frozen, they do not stack in the best space- 

 conserving manner when transferred to another well. Tuna vessels appear to 

 have demonstrated that they are practicable in the freezer-ship industry 

 for salmon so far as receiving and freezing salmon is concerned. 



1^/ Total 1951 Alaska salmon pack was 3,484,468 cases (48 1-pcund cans) 

 valued at $79,249,185. Western Al.aska pack was 388,519 cases valued at 

 $11,859,298. In 1951 the entire Alaska salmon fishing industry employed 

 27,625 persons who earned $17,114,315. In western Alaska 6,064 persons 

 earned $3,605,475. 



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