46 U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES 



SHRIMP 



Three plants in southeast Alaska — one at Petersburg and two at 

 Wrangell — were again engaged primarily in the shrimp industry, 

 operating on about the same scale as in the preceding year. A small 

 quantity of shrimp was also produced by a company in the Cordova 

 district, whose chief operations were in the crab fishery. 



There were 172 persons engaged in the industry, of whom 50 were 

 whites, 80 natives, 20 Japanese, and 22 Filipinos. Products con- 

 sisted of 371,885 pounds of slirimp meat, valued at $126,649; 9,777 

 pounds of fresh slirimp in shell, valued at $1,407; 1,629 pounds of 

 raw frozen shrimp, valued at $652; and 576 pounds of canned shrimp 

 meat (24 cases of K-pound cans, 48 to the case) valued at $192^ — a 

 total of 383,867 pounds, valued at $128,900. Comparable figures for 

 1934 show a production of 381,456 pounds, valued at $120,111. 



CRABS 



Eleven companies handled crabs in Alaska in 1935, the same num- 

 ber as in the preceding year. The more important operators in south- 

 east Alaska were the Alaskan Glacier Sea Foods Co. at Hoonah and 

 Petersburg, the latter plant being used primarily in the shrimp 

 fishery; the Stikine Sea Foods Co., at Wrangell, also devoted chiefly 

 to the production of shrimp; V. L. Boardway & Co., at Wrangell; 

 and Kayler-Otness, Inc., at Petersburg. In the central district the 

 principal operators were the Alaska Icepak Corporation, primarily 

 engaged in salmon canning, the Gulf Packing Co., and the Northern 

 Sea Foods Co., all at Cordova. 



The production of canned crabs declined sharply from that of 1934, 

 due in part to the utilization of a larger proportion of the catch for 

 cold-packing. The regulations providing for a 2-month closed sea- 

 son in the summer, eft'ective for the first time in 1935, also curtailed 

 the output to some extent. 



One hundred and sixty-seven persons were engaged in the industry, 

 of whom 105 were whites, 60 natives, 1 Filipino, and 1 Mexican. 

 Products consisted of 324,370 pounds canned (9,711 cases of )^-pound 

 cans, 1,731 cases of 6}2-ounce cans, and 1,160 cases of 1 -pound cans, 

 48 to the case; and 39 cases of 2-pound cans, 24 to the case), valued 

 at $106,832; 137,906 pounds of cold-packed meat, valued at $53,607; 

 and 1,436 dozen whole crabs in the sheh, valued at $2,889. With 

 the exception of 960 pounds of canned king crabs (40 cases of K-pound 

 cans, 48 to the case) valued at $280, the entire production was of 

 Dungeness crab. The total output of crab products in 1935 was 

 499,538 pounds, valued at $163,328, as compared with 643,148 pounds 

 valued at $207,663 in 1934, a decrease of 22 percent in quantity and 

 21 percent in value. 



JAPANESE VESSELS IN BERING SEA 



Two Japanese floating plants carried on crab-canning operations 

 in Bering Sea waters in 1935 — the Taihoku Maru (8,253 tons), which 

 had engaged in similar activities in 1930, 1933, and 1934, and the 

 Ryokai Maru (4^643 tons), operating for the first time in this area. 

 The former vessel, used primarily in the reduction of fish meal, was 

 accompanied by 3 accessory trawlers of 398 tons each and 8 sea- 

 bottom-seine motorboats of 88 tons each. Three accessory motor- 

 boats, of from 44 to 80 tons each, were with the Ryokai Maru. 



