88 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 
likewise tends to increase the size of the future runs of salmon. The 
latter work was carried on, particularly in the vicinity of salmon- 
counting weirs in central Alaska, but the most important program 
of this kind was, as heretofore, in the Bristol Bay region, where a 
bounty was paid on predatory trout taken by bona fide residents. 
Funds for this purpose have been supplied for a number of years by 
the Territory and by the salmon packers of the district. At its 1937 
session the Territorial Legislature appropriated $25,000 to continue 
the work of clearing salmon streams. 
No collection of salmon eggs for artificial propagation was made 
in 1936, and the hatchery of the Pacific American Fisheries, Inc., at 
Hugh Smith Lake was abandoned after liberation of the fry hatched 
from eggs taken in the preceding year. 
PRODUCTS OF THE FISHERIES 
Although there was some curtailment of fishing operations in the 
herring and salmon industries by reason of price disagreements be- 
tween packers and fishermen and in the crab fishery on account of a 
strike on the Copper River Railroad and the Cordova docks which 
caused a shortage of cans and other supplies during part of the sea- 
son, the total amount of fishery products was the largest ever ob- 
tained from Alaska waters. This was primarily the result of the 
heavy runs of salmon in practically all districts. A contributing 
factor, also, was the unusually large size of pink salmon, especially 
in the Kodiak and Chignik areas. 
Salmon products comprised approximately 81 percent in quantity 
and 92 percent in value of the total output of the Alaska fisheries in 
1936. About 95 percent of the salmon products consisted of canned 
salmon, the pack amounting to 8,437,603 cases, or 405,004,944 pounds, 
valued at $44,751,633. Red salmon represented 30 percent and pinks 
54 percent of the total pack of canned salmon, as against 16 percent 
and 63 percent, respectively, in 1935. As compared with the pack 
of the preceding year, the output of canned salmon in 1936 showed 
an increase of 64 percent in quantity and 74 percent in value. The 
number of canneries operated increased from 99 in 1935 to 117 in 
1936, owing chiefly to the reopening of certain plants on Bristol Bay 
that had been closed in the previous year because of the stringent 
curtailment of fishing in order to rebuild the weak cycle of red 
salmon in that district. 
Products of the herring fishery were somewhat less than in the 
previous year, although well above the general average. The chief 
decline was in the Scotch-cured product, owing to the fact that 
herring suitable for curing were less abundant in all districts except 
Kodiak Island. Low prices on herring oil and the difficulty of meet- 
ing higher prices demanded by the fishermen caused three saltery 
and reduction plants in southeast Alaska to close for the season. 
Halibut landings of the Alaska fleet showed a considerable gain 
over the preceding year and there were increases also in the output 
of a number of the minor fisheries, although whale, clam, and crab 
products declined somewhat. 
The total output of Alaska fishery products in 1936 was 524,042,000 - 
pounds valued at $50,455,000, as compared with an average of 375,- 
265,211 pounds valued at $32,788,840 for the 5-year period from 1931 
