FISHERY INDUSTRIES. 29 
for food for themselves and their dogs. The great need of dogs for 
winter transportation was mentioned. Consideration was also given 
to the effect of commercial fishery operations upon the general 
rosperity of the region drained by the Yukon and its tributaries. 
hose who favored the operation of canneries pointed out that a 
mighty stream like the Yukon ought to support a number of such 
establishments without detriment to the inhabitants or without 
injuring the future of the fishery. They spoke of the primitive 
methods and indifferent efforts by the natives and others to secure 
salmon. ‘This, they alleged, had material bearing upon the light catch 
of 1917, which made it necessary to kill quite a number of dogs in the 
following winter because of a shortage of salmon for food. Those 
who ae the cannery admitted that it was not so much a ques- 
tion of one cannery injuring the stream, but the fear, as expressed 
particularly by Bishop Rowe, that it might be the thin entering 
wedge for a large number of such establishments. 
The preliminary hearing revealed the fact that there was a wide 
difference of opinion as to the necessity of limiting operations or 
taking any steps toward the greater protection of the Yukon fisheries. 
These opinions varied from the idea of absolute prohibition of all 
cannery operations on the Yukon and its tributaries to the view that 
any restrictions were both unnecessary and inexpedient, the Yukon 
being a river of such size and possessing such peculiarities as to 
render intensive and destructive fishing an impossibility. 
As a result of the preliminary hearing the Bureau directed a 
special inquiry into conditions on the Yukon by Wardens C. F. 
ownsend and C. L. Larson, the former devoting attention to the 
lower river and the latter to the upper section. Cooperation was 
rendered by the Bureau of Education, United States attorneys and 
marshals, postmasters, commercial companies, and various persons 
living along the Yukon as to observations on the runs of salmon 
and reports regarding the number and species of fish taken, methods 
of capture, and disposition of catch; also expressions of opinion were 
given in respect to the effect of the operation of one or more 
canneries on the Yukon. To aid in securing uniform data, blanks 
prepared by the Bureau were widely distributed. 
n June 12 announcement was made of a hearing to be given at 
Seattle on November 20, 1918, to consider the advisability of limiting 
or prohibiting commercial fishing for salmon in the Yukon and 
tributary waters. 
The development of the Yukon salmon fisheries began in 1918 
with the establishment of a floating cannery at Andreafski. The 
season’s operations resulted in a pack of 13,463 cases of salmon, 
divided as follows: Cohos 2,661, chums 6,471, humpbacks 107, and 
kings 4,224 cases. In addition to this, 10,400 pounds of cohos and 
chums were dry-salted. The total catch of salmon for the cannery 
was 115,531, of which 26,144 were cohos, 73,921 chums, 3,227 hump- 
backs, and 12,239 kings. Fishing was carried on from the mouth of 
the Yukon to a point above the junction of Clear River, chiefly in 
that part of the Yukon delta known as Kwikluak Pass. The fishing 
seasons were as follows: Kings, June 26 to August 17; chums, June 
28 to September 8; humpbacks, July 7 to July 29; and cohos, August 
3 to September 8. Some of the cannerymen and others frequently 
refer to salmon of one kind by the name “Yukons”’ or vakon 
salmon.” In so doing they mean bright or fresh-run chums. 
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