ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES 121 



shore fishery employed 165 persons, or 29 less than in the previous 

 year. One fisherman lost his life by drowning. 



WHALES 



The two plants of the American Pacific Whaling Co. in Alaska — 

 one at Port Hobron and one at Akiitan — were again operated, each 

 having three steamers engaged in the taking of whales. After the 

 close of operations at the former station, two of its whaling vessels 

 finished the season at Akutan. Employment was given to 222 persons, 

 of whom 203 were whites and 19 natives. 



This was the first year of operation under the international treaty 

 for the regulation of whaling, the act of May 1, 1936, giving effect 

 thereto, and the joint regulations of the Secretary of the Treasury 

 and the Secretary of Commerce issued on October 9, 1936. The 

 required whaling licenses were obtained for the processing plants at 

 a fee of $1,000 each, and $250 was paid for every vessel in excess of 

 two engaged in the taking of whales in connection with each plant. 

 An officer of the Coast Guard was detailed to each plant to enforce 

 the provisions of the Whaling Act and regulations. Biological infor- 

 mation with regard to each whale taken and other statistical data 

 were submitted for communication to the International Bureau for 

 Wlialing Statistics at Oslo, in accordance with articles 10 and 11 of 

 the convention. 



There were 376 whales taken in 1937, consisting of 1 sei whale, and 

 170 finback, 104 humpback, 45 sulphur bottom, and 56 sperm whales. 



Revised figures for 1936 show a total catch of 372 whales, instead 

 of 385, the original report of the Port Hobron station having included 

 by mistake 13 embryo whales, of which 2 were finback and 11 hump- 

 back. The total catch in 1937, therefore, represents an increase of 4 

 whales over the number taken in the previous year. 



Products in 1937 amounted to 715,150 gallons of bodv oil, valued 

 at $400,484; 168,250 gallons of sperm oil, valued at $45,832; 770 tons 

 of fertilizer from meat, valued at $25,410; and 435 tons of bone ferti- 

 lizer, valued at $7,395 — a total value of $479,121, as compared with 

 $334,461 in 1936. 



CLAMS 



In the Prince William Sound-Copper River region four plants en- 

 gaged in the production of canned clams in 1937, or three less than 

 in the previous year. Operations were again facilitated by excep- 

 tionally favorable weather, both in the spring and fall seasons. The 

 bulk of the pack was put up during the period from April 13 to May 

 10. Although the regulations for 1937 had been modified to permit 

 a catch of 1,040,000 pounds of clams, round weight, in the first half 

 of the year, as compared with 920,000 pounds formerly, the catch 

 limit was reached by May 10, and operations were discontinued until 

 the fall season opened on August 16. No change had been made in 

 the fall quota of 280,000 pounds, and that limit was reached after 

 10 days' digging. 



A further study of the age composition of the commercial catch of 

 razor clams was made by Paul E. Thompson, special warden engaged 

 in the clam patrol in the above district. More than 98 percent of the 

 clams taken in 1937 were mature, and about 63 percent had spawned 

 more than once. The average catch per man per tide, based upon 



