40 



FISHEKIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 

 VESSEL FISHING. 



The following fleet a of 1 1 vessels, with headquarters in California 

 and Washington, operated in Alaskan waters this year, several of 

 them spending the winter of 1909-10 in the north. 



Cod-Fishing Fleet in Alaskan Waters, Winter of 1909-10. 



a Lost at sea. 



The vessels from Washington operating in Alaskan waters caught 

 911,500 fish, with a cured weight of 3,563,000 pounds, which sold 

 for $97,983, while those from California caught 498,399 fish, with a 

 cured weight of 1,992,000 pounds, valued at $54,780. 



THE HALIBUT FISHERY. 



FISHING GROUNDS. 



The fishery for this very choice food fish occupies second place in 

 the commercial fisheries of Alaska. At present the industry is 

 practically restricted to southeast Alaska, the few fish taken in cen- 

 tral Alaska being consumed in the towns in that section. This is 

 due almost wholly to the fact that the present steamship facilities 

 to this section of Alaska are inadequate for the handling of this 

 species as expeditiously as is required. Halibut are reported from 

 various places in Cook Inlet, from all along the Alaska Peninsula 

 and the adjacent islands, and in Prince William Sound. 



In western Alaska the fish is reported from a number of places, 

 the natives usually catching and using it for food. The natives of 

 the Pribilof Islands, when fishing off the islands, catch numbers of 

 halibut and these are usually very choice specimens. 



In southeast Alaska halibut appear to be most abundant in the 

 numerous sounds and straits during the winter months. Icy, Chat- 

 ham, Peril, and Sumner Straits, and Frederick Sound are the chief 

 centers of abundance. The best grounds are to be found in Fred- 

 erick Sound, especially around the Five Finger Islands. Good 

 banks are to be found scattered all over Icy Straits. The waters of 



• None of the data relating to this fleet appear in the statistical tables. 



