ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES AST 
Two fishermen and 1 transporter in central Alaska were drowned, 1 
shoresman and 1 transporter died of disease, and 1 shoresman and 1 
transporter met death by accident. In western Alaska 1 fisherman 
and 4 shoresmen died of disease and 1 fisherman was drowned. 
STATISTICS 
One hundred and nine canneries were operated in Alaska in 1939, 
or 11 more than in the previous year. Employment was given to 
24,921 persons, as compared with 22,280 in 1938, an increase of 2,641. 
White employees increased 1,254, natives 570, Chinese 31, Japanese 
64, Filipinos 411, Mexicans 256, Kanakas 7, Negroes 35, and miscel- 
laneous 22; while Puerto Ricans decreased 9. 
The total pack of canned salmon was 5,263,153 cases, valued at 
$34,441,082. This is a decrease of about 23 percent in quantity and 
about 6 percent in value from the production in 1938, when the pack 
was 6,806,998 cases, valued at $36,636,897. 
The output of canned salmon in southeast Alaska decteased from 
2,713,948 cases in 1938 to 2,035,497 cases in 1939, or 25 percent; in 
central Alaska the decline was from 2,179,765 cases to 2,011,910 cases, 
or about 8 percent; and in western Alaska, from 1,913,285 cases to 
1,215,746 cases, or 36 percent. By species, in Alaska as a whole, the 
pack of cohos decreased from 222,321 cases in 1938 to 104,122 cases in 
1939, or 53 percent; chums, from 786,753 cases to 630,300 cases, or 
about 20 percent; pinks from 3,232,878 cases to 2,530,025 cases, or 
about 22 percent; kings from 43,813 cases to 32,458 cases, or about 
26 percent; and reds from 2,521,233 cases to 1,966,248 cases, or 22 
percent. 
Details are included in the following tables to show comparison of 
the 1939 pack with the average for the 5 preceding years, 1934 to 
1938, by cases of each species and by districts. Cohos declined 48 
percent, chums 25 percent, pinks about 32 percent, kings 36 percent, 
and reds 7 percent from the 5-year average. By districts, the pack 
in 1939 decreased approximately 37 percent from the 5-year average 
in southeast Alaska, about 12 percent in the central district, and about 
14 percent in western Alaska, making a net decrease of nearly 24 per- 
cent from the 5-year average for all of Alaska. 
Persons engaged, wages paid, and operating units of Alaska salmon canning 
industry, 1939 





Southeast Central Western 
Item Alaska Alaska Alaska Total 
PERSONS ENGAGED 
Fishermen: 
WWihites@8 3c. ==: >| ener ares ee ee! 1, 383 1, 47 2, 429 5, 284 
INGISN Gk - eee eee SS Se Speen eee 1, 263 791 378 2, 432 
PaDANeSS Beene == eae 2. tee 3 ee te 2 1 3 
INI pINOS Ses $64 += weed. es De ee 9 1 2 12 
PViexicans®2 - 05 hd Redes Cae SAE L D2!) ae. Se Sa is ee 2 
GIO RE RE OE Ee hao eee ee gees eC ee Pa 2 
INGA OS exch ce Oe ee ete =a Ul [stein ss tere | nee Canoe Dla 1 
Rota le ees). eh ae oe is We PEE STS 2, 658 2, 268 2, 810 7, 736 
Shoresmen: 
SUVAED SLs eeeae ee ee ee ee ye 2, 451 L757 2, 239 6, 447 
LN EE THR GG Lge ie Be geet ae Se ee Se ey 1, 985 746 7 2, 848 
CATE oe, Ne ON eno tare yea 61 105 237 

