54 



V. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



cannery supplies, a bunk house, and the tender Oregonian, which 

 sank with a load of some 10,000 red salmon. 



Twenty-one lives were lost — 5 in southeastern Alaska, 5 in central, 

 and 11 in the western district. In southeastern Alaska 2 fishermen 

 were drowned, 2 shoresmen were accidentally killed, and 1 shoresman 

 died of disease. One fisherman, 1 transporter, and 2 shoresmen died 

 of disease and 1 fisherman was drowned in the central district. In 

 western Alaska 3 shoresmen and 5 fishermen died of disease, and 2 

 shoresmen and 1 fisherman met accidental death. 



STATISTICS 



In 1931, 116 canneries were operated in Alaska, 33 less than in 1930. 

 Employment was given to 18,158 persons, as compared with 22,324 

 in 1930, a decrease of 4,166. White employees decreased 2,099; 

 natives, 273; Chinese, 100; Japanese, 265; Filipinos, 1,493; Kanakas, 

 10; Puerto Ricans, 8; Negroes, 58; and miscellaneous (Koreans, etc.), 

 10; while Mexicans increased 150. 



The total pack of canned salmon was 5,403,739 cases, valued at 

 $29,096,292. This was an increase of 371,413 cases, or a little more 

 than 7 per cent, over the pack of 1930 and a decrease in value of 

 $598,606, or about 2 per cent. The output in southeastern Alaska 

 decreased from 2,977,286 to 2,538,936 cases, or nearly 15 per cent, 

 while there was an increase in central Alaska from 1,618,545 to 

 1,681,554 cases, or about 4 per cent, and in western Alaska from 

 436,495 to 1,183,249 cases, or 171 per cent. In Alaska as a whole the 

 pack of reds increased from 851,514 to 1,694,278 cases, or 99 per cent, 

 while cohos decreased from 332,422 to 169,878 cases, or 49 per cent; 

 chums from 599,934 to 533,856 cases, or 11 per cent; pinks from 

 3,188,534 to 2,953,860 cases, or 7 per cent; and kings from 59,922 to 

 51,867 cases, or 13 per cent. 



Data are included in the following tables to show comparison of 

 the 1931 pack with the average for the five preceding years, 1926 to 

 1930, by cases of each species and by districts. Two species — pinks 

 and reds — show a gain over the 5-3^ear average, while cohos, chums, 

 and kings show a decline. By districts the pack in central Alaska 

 decreased 7 per cent, while in southeastern and western Alaska there 

 were increases of approximately 4 and 8 per cent, respectively, 

 making a net gain for all of Alaska of 1 per cent over the 5-year 

 average. 



Persons engaged, wages paid, and operating units of Alaska salmon canning 



industry, 1931 



