294 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
$41,807, and 40,680 gallons of oil, valued at $18,330, in 1925, or an 
increase of 3 per cent in amount of fertilizer and 30 per cent in quan- 
tity of oil in 1926. 
Production of salmon oil and fertilizer in Alaska in 1926 






Districts . Oil | Fertilizer 
| Gallons | Value Pounds | Value 
SoutheasteAdaskas sa. mae eee ea tae as ee. | 28, 014 $11,854 | 936, 000 $25, 348 
CentralAlsskat sires sae Sas A 2s ee 24, 990 9,996 | 541,300 12, 991 
AO) TB Sag Soe a eee es SR ees AR ee ee 53, 004 | 21, 850 | 1, 477, 300 38, 339 
HERRING 
The herring industry in Alaska in 1926 suffered a decline in 
comparison with operations in 1925, which were the largest in the 
history of the Territory. The decline in 1926 was due to several 
causes, chief of which was the unexpected failure of herring to 
materialize in anything like normal numbers in the Afognak region, 
where a number of floating plants and shore stations were prepared 
for a large pack. The run in the Prince William Sound region 
was likewise considerably below expectations. In the Cook Inlet 
region the pack of herring was not notably great. In southeastern 
Alaska the runs were of good proportions, but it is reported that 
the fish averaged considerably smaller size than usual; hence the 
proportion packed for food purposes was smaller, and the number 
used in the manufacture of meal and oil was correspondingly in- 
creased. Market conditions also had important bearing on the 
situation. There was a considerable carry-over from the unprece- 
dentedly large pack of the previous season. 
The use of floating plants in the herring industry has continued 
upon a rather extensive scale. Plants of this character are advan- 
tageous, as the concerns operating them are able to move from un- 
profitable fields to waters where herring are more numerous and 
operations can be conducted more successfully. Of the floating 
plants there may be mentioned the Rosamond (1,035 tons), oper- 
ated by the North American Fisheries; the /sther (222 tons), by 
Ottar Hofstad; the Salvator (385 tons), by Libby, McNeill & Libby; 
the Donna Lane (1,597 tons), by the Utopian Fisheries Co.; and 
the ZF#3 (1,596 tons), by the Nassau Fish Co. (formerly the Atlantic 
& Pacific Packing Co.). The last-named company also operated 
the La Merced (1,342 tons), formerly used by the Alaska Consoli- 
dated Fisheries. Small floating plants were also operated by a 
number of other concerns in various localities. 
There is considerable agitation to prevent the use in southeastern 
Alaska of the increasingly large proportion of the herring catch 
for the manufacture of meal or fertilizer and oil; it is computed 
that upward of 90 per cent was so used in 1926. The herring of 
that district, however, are much smaller in size than those of the 
central district, and, except in certain localities and limited seasons, 
are not so suitable for the preparation of food products. All but 
