44 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1917. 



continental railroad terminal facilities at Prince Rupert, nearer some 

 of the important fishing grounds than other important railroad 

 centers, to build up as large a trade as possible in the halibut industry. 



STATISTICAL SUMMARY. 



The investment in the halibut industry in Alaska was $2,200,987 

 in 1917 as compared wdth $2,149,311 in 1916, an increase of $51,676. 

 The number of persons employed in this fishery declined from 1,116 

 in 1916 to 909 m 1917, the difference having been absorbed by the 

 salmon industry and credited to it. The halibut fisheries produced 

 a total of 13,153,411 pounds, valued at $1,120,226. This is an 

 increase of 1,657,854 pounds over the production in 1916. In a 

 comparison of the selling price of halibut by independent fishing 

 vessels at the ports of Seattle, Prince Rupert, and Ketchikan, it 

 appears that the average price per pound received by the fishermen 

 throughout the year was 9h cents at Ketchikan, 12^- cents at Prince 

 Rupert, and 15i cents at wSeattle. The average price at Petersburg 

 was probably not higher than 7h or 8 cents per pound. The Ketchi- 

 kan figures are based on prices paid in January, February, March, 

 June, August, and September. Quotations for the other months are 

 not reported, but it is improbable that the general average would be 

 materially changed by their inclusion. Prices for the months named 

 ranged from \2\ cents in February to 7 cents in March. 



Prices for Prince Rupert are for the entire year and are 33 J per 

 cent higher than in Alaska. The highest price was 18|- cents per 

 pound in October, and the lowest 7 cents in March. 



Seattle prices averaged 66 § per cent higher than those at Ketchikan. 

 In 1917 halibut sold at 8 cents per pound in May and 30 cents in 

 September. 



The total catch of halibut on the Pacific coast was approximately 

 60,000,000 pounds, of which probably 30,000,000 pounds were taken 

 from the grounds contiguous to the coast of Alaska. Available sta- 

 tistics show, however, that only a little more than 13,000,000 pounds 

 was credited to Alaska. Undoubtedly a large part of the halibut 

 delivered at Prince Rupert is also taken on these grounds, so that the 

 estimate as above given is substantially correct. 



Those chiefly engaged in the halibut industry in Alaska in 1917 

 were the Alaska Coast Fish Co., at Douglas; Booth Fisheries Co., at 

 Sitka; Columbia & Northern Fishing & Packing Co., at Wrangell; 

 Glacier Fish Co., at Petersburg and at Scow Bay, where the barge 

 Glory of the Seas was used as a floating cold-storage plant; Juneau 

 Cold Storage Co. and National Independent Fisheries Co., at Juneau; 

 Taku Canning & Cold Storage Co., at Taku Harbor; New England 

 Fish Co. and Washington Fish & Oyster Co., at Ketchikan; and the 

 San Juan Fishing & Packing Co., at Seward. Buyers for the Ripley 

 Fish Co. were located at Petersburg and Ketchikan. 



The New England Fish Co. suffered the loss of the steamer Man- 

 hattan off Cape Spencer during a severe storm on November 15, 1917. 

 This vessel (134 tons net) was valued at $125,000. 



