430 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



Table 92. United States Pack of Canned Salmon, 1948. 



The 1948 pack of canned salmon in the Pacific Coast States and Alaska amounted to 

 4,824,966 standard cases, valued at $120,537,196 to the canners. Compared with 1947 

 tliis was a decHne of 14 per cent in volume; however, the value of the pack was almost 

 identical with the previous year. Alaska accounted for 83 per cent of the 1948 pack; 

 Puget Sound, 9 per cent; the Columbia River districts of Washington and Oregon, 7 

 per cent; and the Coast areas of the Pacific Coast States, 1 per cent. 



Species Alaska Pacific Coast States Total 



Cases Value Cases Value Cases Value 



Chinook or king 53,959 $1,560,674 285,266 $10,197,153 339,225 $11,757,827 



Chum or keta 781,888 15,896,244 276,158 5,319,477 1,058,046 21,215,721 



Pink 1,304,480 29,541,982 4,480 116,651 1,308,960 29,658,633 



Red or sockeye 1,639,902 43,533,904 97,907 4,082,685 1,737,809 47,616,589 



Silver or coho 234,313 5,987,786 125,647 3,620,257 359,960 9,608,043 



Steelhead 349 8,140 20,617 672,243 20,966 680,383 



Total 4,014,891 96,528,730 810,075 24,008,466 4,824,966 120,537,196 



Note: "Standard cases" represent the various sized cases converted to the equivalent 

 of 48 1-pound cans, each containing 16 ounces. 



f ABLE 93. United States Pack of Canned Salmon 1939 to 1948. 

 Year Alaska Pacific Coast States Total 



Cases Value Cases Value Cases Value 



1939 5,263,161 $34,441,122 728,943 $7,339,727 5,992,104 $41,780,849 



Source: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 



Catching the Salmon. The salmon industry depends to a great extent upon the 

 spawning migration, for it is only at this time that salmon may be caught in 

 quantity; in fact three of the five species are almost never caught at any other 

 time. Coming in from the open sea in immense schools to spawn, they fall an easy 

 prey to various types of nets, traps, and even hook and line. In general salmon 

 are taken either by "fixed gear" or by "floating gear." The "fixed gear" includes 

 traps, consisting of large stationary pound nets constructed of piling, wire netting, 

 and linen netting. Fish wheels, which are operated by the river current, are still 

 used in some remote sections of Alaska. As they revolve, they pick up the salmon 

 and throw them into a box by the side of the wheels. The "floating gear" includes 

 purse-seine boats, gill-net boats, trolling (hook and line) boats, and floating traps. 

 Sometimes beach seines, dip nets, and spears are also used. 



