THE FISHES OF ALASKA. 



239 



was 2.5 pounds heavier than the heaviest weighed by us. The average weight of 1,597 fish (782 weighed 

 by us, 815 by Mr. Chamlierlain) was 5.25 pounds. The Yes Bay humpbacks appear to be heavier 

 than any others. 



An examination of these figures and the detailed data on which they are based does not, however, • 

 indicate that any geographic races can be recognized. AMiile the averages for the different streams 

 show considerable differences in some instances, the individuals from any one stream lack homogeneity 

 and show a range of variation in length and weight great enough to include that of the different streams. 



The humpljack salmon is known to the Eiissians as gorbuscha and to the trade as pink salmon. 

 Not until recently in the history of the salmon-canning industry has it been utilized. Its flesh is pale 

 or pink in color, less firm in texture, and with less of the salmon flavor characteristic of the .sockeye 

 and chinook. For these reasons canners wore slow to utilize it. A few years ago, however, a number 

 of enterprising canners began putting up this species under the name of pink salmon and during the 

 last five or six years the industry has developed enormously. The pack of many canneries which 

 originally put up nothing but reds consists now lai'gely, in some cases almost wholly, of pinks. Many 

 canneries which at first utilized the humpbacks only at the end of the season in order to make up their 

 guaranty are now canning them whenever they can get them. 



Although as a canned product not ranking as high as the red, the king, or the coho, pink salmon 

 is a delicious article, palatable, very nutritious, and thoroughly whole.some in every way. As a food 

 product its place is now established and in the future it will only increase in popularity, ^^^len fresh 

 and directly from the sea it is, next to the king, generally regarded as the best of all the salmons as 

 a fresh fish. As a salted fish also it ranks high, and salted humpback bellies are esteemed a great 

 delicacy. This fish, however, does not keep well m the fresh state, the flesh becoming soft soon after 

 the fish is taken out of the water and becoming tainted in forty-eight hom's or less, even in the cool 

 climate of Alaska. By the time the fish has reached the spawning beds or even the mouths of the 

 rivers, its flesh has lost most of the oil it had and is then almost worthless as food. Only when caught 

 some time before it would have entered the streams is it fit for food. 



The catch of humpbacks in 1906 was second in value only to the red salmon. In that year the 

 total number of humpliack salmon utilized in the Alaskan fisheries, as given by the Alaska salmon 

 agents, was 7,707,999. The bulk of these were canned, though many were utilized in other ways, 

 as fresh, salted, etc. Reducing the entire catch to the basis of canned salmon, the total product 

 for 1906 equaled 357,428 cases which, at average current prices, was valued at $1,061,463. 



The Beginning and Ending of Commercial Fishing foe Humpback Salmon at Various Fishing 



Stations in Alaska, 1900 and 1904-1906. 



Note. — The fact that the name of a river is giyen does not necessarily mean that fishing is carried on in the river itself; 

 in many instances the fishing station is in the vicinity of the stream and its name has been used in order more clearly to 

 locate the streams. The dates given do not necessarily mean the beginning and ending of the run for each stream, as the 

 fish may have been running for some time I'lefore the "cannery men were able to fish the stream, and the pack may have 

 been obtained and fishing stopped before the end of the run. 



