148 EEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHEKIES. 



During the past four years a,ttcutiou ha« been directed to Bristol 

 Bay as the best region in which to engage in the salmon fisheries. 

 The cost of operating a cannery here is probably greater than in south- 

 eastern Alaska, but the higher grade of salmon packed compensates 

 for the extra expense involved. In 1903 the pack in this region 

 amounted to nearly 200,000 cases more than that of 1902. Here, the 

 season being short, about five or six weeks at most, salmon must almost 

 daily arrive in large numbers if a full pack is to be secured. A "slack 

 spell" for any considerable length of time is likely to result in small 

 packs, for the time lost in the early part or middle of the season is not 

 likely to be made up later, as is the case in some other parts of Alaska, 

 owing to uncertain weather conditions which prevent extensive fishing. 

 The pack, moreover, must be loaded into ships, and it is very desirable 

 that this should be done as early in the season as possible. 



The Nushagak River is the most northern point in Bristol Bay 

 where salmon have been taken for commercial purposes. During the 

 last three j^ears several parties have been investigating the waters of 

 the Kuskokwim River and tributaries, and report that a large body 

 of red salmon enter this river annually. One of the principal obstacles 

 to the establishment of canneries on the Kuskokwim is the shallow 

 intricate passages leading into it, which prevent large craft from 

 entering. Ships arc an indispensable adjunct to a cannery in this 

 region, there being no other means of transportation, and until a 

 channel for deep-draft vessels is defined the chances are that this river 

 will not be fished to an}^ great extent. 



Several saiteries have been established on Bristol Bay southwest of 

 the Naknek and Ugashik rivers, between Port Haiden and Khudu1)ine 

 Island, and the owners of these saiteries intend to erect canneries on 

 the sites in the near future. 



In the years 1900, 1901, and 1902 a large number of canneries were 

 built in southeast Alaska, although as earl}" as 1900 there were evi- 

 dently as many as the streams would support. The result has been 

 that in the last two seasons a number of establishments were obliged 

 to close. It has been reported that the cannery belonging to the Union 

 Packing Company", situated at Kell Ba}", Kuiu Island, is to be disman- 

 tled and the machinery taken to Bristol Ba)^ 



The demand for mild-cured and frozen salmon being great, it is pos- 

 sible that in the future more of this product will be furnished by Alaska. 

 So far only two plants have been established in that territory, one at 

 Taku Harbor and one at Ideal Cove, the north arm of the Stikine 

 River. The plant at Ideal Cove was operated in a small way during 

 the seasons of 1901 and 1902, but it being made unlawful to take salmon 

 in 1903 before July 1, and the king salmon, the species desired, being 

 obtainable mostly in May and June, this company was forced out of 

 business. The other company, however, having a cannery, was enabled 



