394 U. 8S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
SHRIMP 
As in the preceding year, three plants in southeast Alaska were 
engaged in the shrimp industry. The plant of the Stikine Sea Food 
Co. at Wrangell changed hands in April, having been sold to the 
Alaskan Glacier Sea Food Co. It was allowed to remain idle until 
late October, after which it was overhauled and put into operation. 
Other plants in the shrimp fishery were the Alaskan Glacier Sea Food 
Co. at Petersburg and the Reliance Shrimp Co. at Wrangell. No 
production of shrimp was reported from the Cordova district. 
There were 176 persons engaged in the industry, of whom 49 were 
whites, 88 natives, 20 Japanese, and 19 Filipinos. Products con- 
sisted of 467,407 pounds of shrimp meat, valued at $159,420; 5,666 
pounds of frozen shrimp, valued at $2,126; and 5,676 pounds of fresh 
shrimp in the shell, valued at $728—a total of 478,749 pounds, valued 
at $162,274. Comparable figures for 1935 show a production of 
383,867 pounds, valued at $128, 900. 
CRABS 
Operations in the crab fishery were carried on at seven plants in 
southeast Alaska, including two that were used chiefly in the shrimp 
fishery, and at four plants in central Alaska, one of which was pri- 
marily a clam cannery. The Alaskan Glacier Sea Food Co. again 
packed crabs at Hoonah and Petersburg, the latter in connection 
with the shrimp industry, and extended its activities to the central 
district, continuing operations at the Cordova plant of the Northern 
Sea Food Co., which it purchased in April. Other important operators 
in the crab fishery were the Kayler-Otness, Inc., at Petersburg, the 
Boardway Canning Co. (under which name the liquidated business 
of V. L. Boardway & Co. was reorganized ) at Wrangell, and the 
Alaska Icepak Corporation and Gulf Packing Co. at Cordova. 
Under the regulations effective in 1936 the size limit on crabs taken 
for commercial | purposes was changed to 7 inches in greatest width 
of shell instead of 6% inches as formerly. Although certain fishermen 
seemed inclined at first to disregard this regulation, there was general 
cooperation before the season was over. Effective in 1936, also, the 
closed season in southeast Alaska was adjusted to include the period 
when the crabs are soft and economically least valuable. 
Notwithstanding the fact that operations in central Alaska were 
seriously hindered for a number of weeks in August and September 
by the strike on the Copper River railroad and the Cordova docks, 
which prevented delivery of cans and other supplies, the pack of 
crabs at Cordova was well above that for the preceding year. Of the 
total amount of crab products in Alaska, the central district produced 
a little more than 50 percent, as compared with less than 19 percent 
in 1935. 
An investigation of the Dungeness crab fishery was undertaken by 
A. M. Rafn, who examined sample catches from various parts of Iey 
Strait, Tenakee Inlet, and Hoonah Sound during the closed period 
for commercial crab fishing and for a short time thereafter to deter- 
mine the proportion of crabs which were soft and unfit for commercial 
use. This study indicated that from 20 to 27 percent of the crabs 
taken from June 24 to July 1 were soft. During this period and 
throughout July and early August there was a general decline in 
relative abundance of soft-shelled crabs. It was found, however, that 
