FISHERY INDUSTRIES. 



35 



STATISTICS. 



The number of canneries in operation in Alaska in 1917 was 118, 

 as compared with 100 in 1916. The total investment was $46,865,271, 

 an increase of $12,764,418 over 1916. The investment in southeast 

 Alaska increased $7,198,635, in central Alaska $3,086,762, and in 

 western Alaska $2,479,003. 



The number of persons employed in the salmon-canning industry 

 in 1917 was 23,350, an increase of 4,110 over 1916, when 19,240 

 were employed. Whites increased 2,823 and natives 767. Chinese 

 decreased 97, Japanese 183, and miscellaneous 735. The decrease 

 in miscellaneous persons employed is due to the fact that the Mexi- 

 cans, which formerly were included in that category, are given 

 separate classification in the list for 1917. 



There were packed in Alaska in 1917 a total of 5,947,286 cases of 

 salmon, valued at $46,295,900. This is an increase of 1,046,559 over 

 the 4,900,627 cases packed in 1916 and an increase of $23,034,661 

 over the value of the 1916 pack, which was $23,269,429. The pack 

 in 1917 establishes a new record in the production of the salmon 

 fisheries, exceeding by long odds the pack of previous years in both 

 quantity and value. Taking each section separately, the pack was 

 as follows: Southeast Alaska advanced from 2,214,280 cases to 

 3,294,851, an increase of 1,080,571 cases; central Alaska declined 

 from 1,075,913 to 1,017,206 cases, a falling off of 58,707 cases; and 

 western Alaska increased from 1,610,434 to 1,635,235 cases, a gain 

 of 24,801 cases over the pack of 1916. A comparison by species 

 shows that chums increased from 724,115 to 906,747 cases, a gain 

 of 182,632 cases; humpbacks increased from 1,737,793 to 2,296,976 

 cases, a gain of 559,183 cases; and reds increased from 2,110,937 

 to 2,488,381 cases, an advance of 377,444 cases. Cohos declined 

 from 261,909 to 193,231 cases, a decrease of 68,678 cases, and kings 

 fell off from 65,873 to 61,951 cases, a decrease of 3,922 cases in 1917. 



Investment in the Salmon-Canning Industry in 1917. 



