106 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



dian market as shown by Canadian import statistics. Prior to 1915 

 the bulk of the Canadian supply of foreign halibut was derived from 

 points in the United States other than Alaska. From 1916 through 

 1922, however, there has been a steady growth in the Alaska-Cana- 

 dian trade. From Canadian imports of Alaskan halibut in 1916, 

 amounting to 27,257 pounds, the peak was reached in 1921, when 

 1,900,182 pounds were imported. The marked decline in 1923 to 

 434,610 pounds is attributed to the decline in Canadian exports dur- 

 ing that year resulting in the retention of a portion of the Canadian 

 vessel catch for home consumption. 



About 27 per cent of our domestic halibut catch is preserved by 

 freezing. The result of a three months" closed season, from Xoveni- 

 ber 16 to February 15, each year, will doubtless increase this per- 

 centage materially. With its present cold-storage facilities. Alaska 

 will probably obtain a considerable portion of the new business, 

 inasmuch as rapid transit is of minor importance in the handling 

 of the frozen product. 



With the successful introduction of brine freezing into the Alaska 

 halibut industry and its promise of eliminating packing of the 

 product in chopped ice, there is the possibility that eventually the 

 bulk of the American catch will be landed in Alaska. It is con- 

 tended that brine freezing results in a product that, when thawed 

 out, is the equal of the fresh fish. 



STATISTICAI, SUMMARY 



The halibut industry of Alaska shows an investment of $2,336,350 

 in 1923, an increase over 1922 of $496,340. Complete statistics of 

 this nature are not easily obtained, as many boats regularly engaged 

 in the halibut fishery off the Alaskan coast are credited by the 

 owners to Seattle. Halibut deliveries at Alaskan ports in 1923 

 aggregated 12,173.274 pounds, valued at $1,253,951, as compared with 

 11,075,237 pounds in 1922, valued at $1,034,967. 



Investment, persons engaged, and products of Alaska halihnt fisheri/ in 1923 



Items 



INVESTMENT 



Vessels: 



Steam and gas 



Net tonnage- - 



Launches 



Apparatus 



Shore property 



Cash capital... 



Total. 



Number Value 



321 

 3,311 



1 



$1,665,000 



2, 336, 350 



1,000 



67, 930 



302. 530 



299, 890 



Items 



PERSONS ENG-iVGEl) 



Whites 



Natives 



Total 



PRODUCTS (pounds) 



Fresh (including local) . . 

 Frozen 



Total -. 



Number Value 



1,001 

 12 



1,073 



3, 959. 105 

 8, 214, 169 



12,173,274 



$449, 638 

 804,313 



1,253,951 



COD FISHERY 



In 1923 the Alaska Codfish Co. increased its fleet of fishing vessels 

 by the addition of the schooner Banc/or, the Union Fish Co. added 

 the schooners Beulah and Galilee to its fleet, and the W. J. Erskine 

 Co. operated two small power schooners in connection with its shore 

 station at Kodiak. The Xorth Star Fish Packing Co.. at Tacoma. 

 Wash.. Avithdrew from the cod industrv of Alaska. 



