40 



FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 



Investment. — There were 24 salteries (18 in southeast Alaska and 3 

 each in central and western Alaska), an increase of 4 over 1906. In 

 addition, some of the canneries, and several of the mild-curing plants, 

 also salted their surplus catch, and while the product has been 

 included in the present figures the men and investment could not be 

 separated from the statistics of the other branches of the industry. 

 In wectern Alaska the saltery of Mr. L. A. Pedersen was turned into 

 a cannery. The total investment in the pickled-salmon industry 

 amounted to S309,313, a slight gain over 190G. 



Vessels, Boats, Apparatus, and Shore Property Employed in the Salmon 

 Pickling Industry in 1907. 



o Had aggregate length of 4,940 ya rds. 6 Had aggregate length of 2,150 yards. 



cHad aggregate length of 6,900 yards. 



Output. — The pack amounted to 23,182 barrels and 4,180 half bar- 

 rels, with a total value of $240,549. This is an increase of 6,256 bar- 

 rels and 791 half barrels in quantity and $100,711 in value over 1906. 

 Red salmon formed by far the greater part of this pack and most of 

 these were put up in western Alaska. There is a large increase shown 

 in the number of red and humpback bellies packed, while 191 barrels 

 of coho bellies were put up (none of the latter were packed in 1906). 

 The packing of salmon bellies is a very wasteful process, as all but the 

 belly portion is thrown away, and to pack a barrel of bellies requires 

 more than four times the number of salmon required for a barrel of 

 whole fish. As the run of salmon is'^one too large to be handled by 

 other and less wasteful methods even in the best of seasons, the use of 

 fish in this wasteful manner should be absolutely prohibited. In the 

 wreck of the bark Servia at Karluk, in November, 473 barrels of pickled 

 salmon were lost. These, however, as in the case of the canned 

 salmon, have been included in the statistical tables. 



A considerable quantity of coho, dog, humpback, and red salmon 

 was prepared at Juneau by sphtting the fish down the back, removing 

 the backbone and entrails, and then salting lightly in boxes holding 



