ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1927 131 



Products of the Alaska frozen-salmon industry in 1927 



DRY-SALTING, DRYING, AND SMOKING 



In southeastern Alaska two companies prepared dry-salted salmon, 

 and in central Alaska one firm dried a small quantity of humpbacks, 

 these operations being entirely incidental to other lines of the indus- 

 try. In the fishery of the Yukon, Tanana, and Kuskokwim Rivers, 

 which is carried on principally by natives, 1,058,000 pounds of salmon 

 were dried, valued at $115,230; and in addition 3,000 pounds of 

 kippered kings, valued at $600, and 720 pounds of bel'eke from kings, 

 valued at $216, were prepared. In this western district 19 whites 

 and 375 natives engaged in the fishery, and the apparatus used 

 consisted of 195 wheels, 195 gill nets of 6,141 fathoms, 23 rowboats 

 and skiffs, 4 gill-net boats, and 3 launches. 



Production of dry-salted, dried, and smoked salmon in Alaska in 1927 



EGGS FOR CAVIAR 



Under a special agreement, one of the salmon canneries in the Icy 

 Strait region of southeast Alaska sold 34,900 pounds of chum salmon 

 eggs, valued at S698, for shipment to Japan, to be used in the pro- 

 duction of caviar. It was said that a greater output might have been 

 secured had there been adequate facilities for handling the eggs on 

 the peak delivery days of chum salmon. Whether any further 

 development of this business will materialize is doubtful, although 

 the undertaking in 1927 indicates the possibilit}^ of obtaining a fair 

 market for a product not heretofore utilized for commercial purposes 

 in the Alaska fishery. 



