ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1923 105 



142 pounds to Prince Rupert and Vancouver, British Columbia. 

 Of the total quantity landed in 1928, 8,214,169 pounds were frozen. 

 The business centers at Ketchikan, although freezing operations 

 are conducted at Sitka, Juneau, and Seward, while at both Peters- 

 burg and Wrangell halibut trade is carried on. 



It is the ambition of Ketchikan business interests to have the 

 20,000.000 pounds of halibut now landed direct by American fishing 

 vessels at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, landed at Ketchikan 

 instead. The aspirations of Ketchikan for this trade have been in 

 evidence since the opening of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway to 

 Prince Rupert in 1915. The trade was originally secured and has 

 been retained by Prince Rupert through orders in council, which per- 

 mit American fishing vessels to land their fares in British Columbia 

 and transship to the United States without payment of the Canadian 

 customs tariff. 



The conditions under which halibut taken by American vessels 

 and landed at British Columbia ports for shipment in bond may be 

 brought into the United States as the product of American fisheries 

 have been the subject of several recent Treasury Decisions, the latest 

 of which (T. D. 40089), under date of March 27, 1924, reads as fol- 

 lows : 



Since the publication of T. D. 39822, October 10, 1923, relating to fish, the 

 product of American fisheries, the department lias given further consideration 

 to various questions affecting the fishing industry. 



It is apparent that American fishermen catching fish in the northern Pacific 

 Ocean often find it to their advantage to land their catches of fish at a 

 Canadian port, particularly at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and there 

 sell the fish either to American or foreign dealer's for shipment to the United 

 States rather than to ship the fish for their own account. 



It has long been the settled policy of Congress to encourage the American 

 fishing industry by providing that fish and all other products of American 

 fisheries should be free of duty, and this policy is continued in paragraph 

 1630 of the tariff act of 1022. In pursuance of this policy, therefore, it is 

 hereby held under said paragraph 1630 that — 



1. Fish and all other products of American fisheries may be brought into 

 any port of the United States by the vessel taking the same and landed free 

 of duty without any entry being required therefor. (Art. 436, Customs Regu- 

 lations of 1915.) 



2. American-caught fish may be landed in foreign territory and there stored, 

 malted, dried, or otherwise preserved, without losing their right to free entry 

 as the product of American fisheries when shipped to the United States, 

 provided the fish are not sold in the foreign country, and the storing, salting, 

 etc.. is done by the master and crew of the fishing vessel or by persons 

 employed by them for the purpose; ownership of the fish remaining in the 

 master or owner of the vessel until the fish are entered at a port in the United 

 States (T. D. 32138). 



3. American-caught fish may be landed and sold In foreign territory to 

 American or foregn purchasers, and such pnrcliasers may ship the fish to 

 the United States and enter the same free of duty under paragraph 1630, 

 provided the fish be shipped to the United States within 30 days after landing 

 from the fishing vessel without their Jiaving been stored, salted, dried, or 

 otherwise preserved in the foregn country. Freezing the fisli or packing 

 them in ice to keep them in a fresh condition for shipment, or the removal 

 of the heads, fins, or other refuse parts would not be a bar to the r free 

 entry muler this ruling. 



4. If such fish are sold in a foreign country and there stored, salte<l, dried, 

 or otherw se preserved they would thus become, by such sale and storage or 

 preservative treatment, so far mingled with foreign commerce as to deprive 

 them of their status as the product of American fisheries, and they wtmld 

 therefore be subject to duty as the product of a foreign country. 



T. D. .30404 and T. D. .39822 are hereby modified accordingly. 



"\^niile official data are lacking as to American exports of halibut, 

 it is interesting to note Alaska's position with regard to tlie Cana- 



