FISHERY INDUSTRIES. 



53 



HALIBUT FISHERY. 



The large halibut banks of the North Pacific Ocean are located 

 largeh' in extraterritorial waters. They are fished by vessels from 

 Seattle, Prince Rupert, and Alaskan ports, to which places fares are 

 delivered. There are also large banks off the coast of British 

 Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, which are visited by these same 

 vessels. The impracticability of making the necessary segregation 

 of catches, in order to show how much of the total production of 

 halibut from the Pacific Ocean should be credited to the respective 

 regions, is at once obvious. The statistics appearing herein include 

 all catches delivered at ports in Alaska and at Seattle by American 

 vessels fishing on Yakutat, Portlock, Albatross, and the banks 

 adjacent to the coast of southeast Alaska. A total of 14,278,791 

 pounds is thus accounted for. American vessels also delivered at 

 Prince Rupert and Vancouver a total of 11,761,750 pounds of halibut 

 which in all probabihty came largely from the Alaskan banks. 



STATISTICAL SUMMARY. 



The investment in the halibut industrv in 1919 was $1,979,457, as 

 against §2,594,292 in 1918, a falling otf^of $614,835. The industry 

 gave employment to 867 persons as compared with 1,186 in 1918, a 

 decrease of 319. Production increased from 13,8()9,706 pounds in 

 1918 to 14,278,791 pounds in 1919. a total of 409,085 pounds. Values 

 dropped from SI, 667, 686 to 81,550,605, a decline of SI 17,081. 



The principal handlers of halibut were Libby, McNeill & Libby, at 

 Taku; New England Fish Co., at Ketchikan; Alaska Fish & Cold 

 Storage Co., successor to the Glacier Fish Co., at Scow Bay; Booth 

 Fisheries Co., at Sitka; Juneau Cold Storage Co., at Juneau; National 

 Independent Fisheries Co., at Juneau; Ripley Fish Co., at Ketchikan, 

 VVrangell, and Petersburg; and the San Juan Fishing & Packing Co., 

 at Seward. 



One fishcnnan was drowned while engaged in halibut fishing. 

 Minor property losses aggregating in value §10,000 were also reported. 



Investment, Persons Engaged, and Products of Alaska Halibut Fishery in 



1919. 



