FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1907. 51 



and a buoy at each end of a skate, but for deep-water fishing an 

 extra anchor and buoy are placed about the middle of the skate. 



In fishing the trawls are set twice each day. The first set is made 

 at about daybreak and the fishermen commence to lift about an 

 hour after the line has all been paid out. The next set is usually 

 made about 12 or 1 o'clock in the afternoon and the line is allowed 

 to remain down about an hour. In the winter season usually but 

 one set a day is made, while only about two-thirds of the usual gear 

 is employed. The trawls are generally set in about 100 fathoms, 

 although sometimes as deep as 300 fathoms. Fishing is continued 

 during all stages of the tide, although some of the fishermen consider 

 the morning flood as the best. 



Large halibut are occasionally taken, one being delivered at Juneau 

 in 1904 which weighed 365 pounds. According to the superintendent 

 of the Tee Harbor halibut station of the International Fisheries Com- 

 pany, the females appear to have well-developed eggs at all seasons 

 of the year. This summer, one of the authors opened a halibut 

 measuring about 3^ feet in length and found in its stomach 22 good- 

 sized herring. 



From Juneau the steamer rates to Seattle on fresh halibut are S7.50 

 per ton when the shipment comprises 6 or more boxes (6 boxes are 

 considered to weigh 2 J tons), but when the shipment consists of 

 less than 6 boxes the rate is $9 per ton. Wharfage in Juneau is $1 

 per ton and in Seattle 40 cents. 



In the spring the New England Fish Company, an American cor- 

 poration with headquarters at Vancouver, British Columbia, which 

 operates a fleet of steamers some of which fly the American flag and 

 some the Canadian flag, purchased a large tract of ground in Ketchi- 

 kan. This property is situated on the water front, and while no use 

 has been made of it as yet, the company will eventually, it is said, 

 establish a large halibut station here. 



The Northwestern Marine Company, of Seattle, Wash., was incor- 

 porated under the laws of Washington in September of this year. 

 According to the officials of the company it is their purpose to estab- 

 lish a large fishing station in Alaska, preferably at Ketchikan. 

 Attached to this will be a fertilizer plant, at which the offal 

 and nonedible fishes can be treated. The station is to be pri- 

 marily for halibut, although other fish wiU be handled. Several 

 steamers, fitted with beam trawls, will do the fishing. It is a question 

 whether beam trawls can be profitably employed on this coast, as 

 there is practically no market for any of the catch except halibut. 

 A British Columbia company gave this form of apparatus a thorough 

 test in 1906, and soon abandoned it as unprofitable. 



The Pacific Fisheries Company, of Tacoma, was incorporated in 

 September and will have a fleet of steamers engaged in fishing for 

 halibut along the Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska co'asts. 



