470 U. S. BUIIEAU OF FISHERIES 



the commercial exploitation of its fisheries held the opinion that a run aggregating 

 many millions of salmon annually ascended the river. The necessity of main- 

 taining tlie fisheries is paramovuit at all times, and if it is reasonable to suppose 

 that a serious depletion of the supply by unrestricted fishing seems imminent, 

 limitations must necessarily be imposed. This was done on December 14, 1018, 

 by the promulgation of regulations affecting commercial fishing for salmon in 

 the Yukon River. The closing order which is published in full on page II in 

 this report became effective January 1, I9I9. 



In 1922 Waechter Bros, located a plant on Leslie's Island, outside 

 the protected zone, and mild-cured and froze salmon for a couple of 

 seasons. 



MISCELLANEOUS PLACES 



At times small quantities of salted salmon have been packed in 

 Bering Sea in the neighborhood of Nome and St. Michael. In 1917 

 the iVrctic Fish Co. operated on a large scow on Golovin Bay, near 

 Nome. 



ARCTIC OCEAN 



Although it is known that there are good runs of salmon in some 

 of the rivers debouching into the Arctic, the ice and other conditions 

 have deterred people from attemi)ting to extend their operations into 

 this region. In 1912, however, the Midnight Sun Packing Co. built 

 and operated a small cannery on Kotzebue Sound, in the Arctic 

 Ocean. A small pack, mostly of Dolly Varden trout, was made in 

 that and subsequent years. The plant was not operated in 1919 and 

 was later on abandoned entirely. 



BRITISH COLUMBIA 22 



Fraser River. — This, the largest river in British Columbia (over 

 1,000 miles in length), has been important from a fishery standpoint 

 ever since salmon canning was taken up commercially. 



The Hudson Bay Co., the first to prepare salmon for commercial 

 purposes, bought the fish from the Indians and pickled them in barrels 

 for export, mainly to the Hawaiian Islands and Asia. 



Howay,^^ in his work on British Colinnbia, after describing briefly 

 the fishing operations carried on by the Hudson Bay Co. in the Fraser 

 River, has the following to say with respect to the development of 

 the commercial salmon fisheries and the preparation of the catch by 

 salting and canning on the part of the independents who succeeded 

 the company: 



SALMON CANNING INDUSTRY 



No sketch of our history could l^e called complete without containing some refei"- 

 cnce to the origin and development, during the early stages, at any rate, of the 

 industry of salmon canning. 



By its charter the Hudson Bay Co. was granted " the fishing of all sorts of fish, 

 whales, sturgeons, and all other royal fishes in the seas, bays, inlets, and rivers, 

 within the premises (that is within the undefined area surrounding Hudson Bay), 

 and the fish taken therein." Though no similar grant was contained in the exclu- 

 sive license of trade with the Indians west of the Rocky Moiuitains, which was the 

 only title the company had in this region, yet it claimed and exercised a monopoly 

 of the salmon fishing on the Fraser River. 



" Thp author is indphtpfl to Henry Doylo, of Vancouver, British Columbia, for praotipally all of tho 

 historical data relating to the canninK industry of British Columbia, and hereby expresses his deep appre- 

 ciatir»n for this and many other courtesies. 



" British Columbia, From the I';arlicst Times to the Present. By F. W. Uoway. 4 vols.,illus. Van- 

 couver, 1914. 



