304 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



total of 233 and an increase of 3 over the number reported employed 

 in the industry in 1928. One fisherman lost his life by drowning. 

 The company took 385 whales in all, consisting of 105 finbacks, 214 

 humpbacks, 53 sulphur bottoms, 12 sperm, and 1 right whale. This 

 is a decrease of 17 from the number caught in Alaskan waters in the 

 preceding year. 



The products of the whale fishery were as follows: 785,700 gallons 

 of whale oil, valued at $413,391; 47,750 gallons of sperm oil, valued 

 at $17,800; 836 tons of fertilizer from meat, valued at $54,340; 475 

 tons of bone fertilizer, valued at $14,250; 36,314 pounds of pickled 

 meat, valued at $1,500; and 16,000 pounds of whalebone, valued at 

 $800 — a total value of products of $502,081 and an increase of about 

 11 per cent over 1928 when products were valued at $454,274. 



CLAMS 



The production of clams in Alaska, which had been decreasing 

 steadily since the record output of 1924, showed a decided upward 

 trend this j^ear. The bulk of the pack was prepared by two firms 

 that were engaged also in canning salmon — the Pioneer Packing Co. 

 at Cordova and the Seashore Packing Co. at Kukak Bay — while six 

 other operators produced a small amount. All operations were in 

 central Alaska, principally in the Cordova district. 



Employment was given to 180 whites, and the output was 28,001 

 cases containing 704,448 pounds, valued at $203,656, an increase of 

 approximately 92 per cent in quantity and 90 per cent in value over 

 the production in 1928, when 15,170 cases totaling 367,494 pounds, 

 valued at $107,046, were packed. 



Products of the Alaska clam industry in 1929 



Item 



Cases 



Value 



Minced: 



,'/2-pound cans (48 to case) - . 



iO-ounce cans (48 to case).. 



20-ounce cans (24 to case) . . 

 Whole: 



Jc-pound cans (48 to case) _ . 



10-ounce cans (48 to case).. 



I-pound cans (48 to case)-- 

 Juice, 10-ounce cans (48 to case) 



Total - 



23, 699 



3,612 



293 



20 



2 



374 



1 



28,001 



568, 776 



108, 360 



8,790 



480 



60 



17, 952 



30 



704,448 



$170, 785 



26,808 



1,886 



148 



22 



4,001 



6 



203, 656 



SHRIMP 



No new developments occurred in the shrimp industry in 1929, the 

 grounds fished being the same as in the preceding year, with no addi- 

 tional gear in use. Two plants were again operated, one by the 

 Alaska Glacier Sea Food Co. at Petersburg and one by the Reliance 

 Shrini]) Co. at Wrangell. Fishing during the fall months was curtailed 

 somewhat because of a slump in the market, but the total production 

 for the season was almost ec|ual to that for 1928. 



Employment was given to 107 persons, of whom 15 were whites, 

 48 natives, 26 Japanese, 11 Filipinos, 6 Mexicans, and 1 Chinese. 

 Products for the 1929 season consisted of 497,750 pounds of shrimp 

 meat valued at $200,312, a decrease of 6,521 pounds in quantity and 

 $1,853 in value from the preceding j^ear, when 504,271 pounds valued 

 at $202,165 were prepared. 



