﻿44 
  ALASKA 
  FISHEEIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  IKDUSTRIES 
  IN 
  1914. 
  

  

  PICKLED 
  SALMON. 
  

  

  The 
  lessened 
  demand 
  for 
  salt 
  salmon 
  in 
  1913 
  and 
  the 
  consequent 
  

   weakening 
  of 
  the 
  market 
  resulted 
  in 
  a 
  lack 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  salting 
  

   salmon 
  in 
  1914. 
  This 
  was 
  more 
  noticeable 
  in 
  southeast 
  and 
  central 
  

   Alaska, 
  where 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  lighter 
  run 
  of 
  pinks, 
  which 
  resulted 
  in 
  

   greater 
  demands 
  for 
  canning 
  purposes. 
  In 
  western 
  Alaska 
  the 
  

   production 
  of 
  salt 
  salmon 
  was 
  quite 
  good, 
  but 
  no 
  doubt 
  this 
  was 
  due 
  

   in 
  part 
  to 
  the 
  heavy 
  run 
  of 
  reds, 
  which 
  at 
  times 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  taken 
  

   care 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  canneries. 
  Later 
  in 
  the 
  season 
  the 
  price 
  on 
  salt 
  

   salmon 
  improved 
  materially 
  over 
  that 
  obtained 
  in 
  1913. 
  The 
  

   European 
  war 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  factor 
  in 
  this 
  advance. 
  

  

  In 
  southeast 
  Alaska 
  this 
  year 
  the 
  only 
  concern 
  to 
  operate 
  a 
  salting 
  

   enterprise 
  other 
  than 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  incidental 
  way 
  was 
  the 
  

   Holbrook 
  Fish 
  Co. 
  Early 
  in 
  December 
  this 
  plant 
  was 
  partly 
  de- 
  

   stroyed 
  by 
  fire. 
  In 
  central 
  Alaska 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  salt 
  salmon 
  was 
  

   chiefly 
  from 
  the 
  Copper 
  River. 
  Of 
  the 
  salteries 
  in 
  western 
  Alaska, 
  

   one 
  was 
  operated 
  at 
  Koggiung 
  by 
  the 
  Alaska 
  Salmon 
  Co. 
  as 
  a 
  floating 
  

   plant 
  on 
  the 
  schooner 
  Lizzie 
  Vance, 
  a 
  vessel 
  of 
  383 
  tons. 
  

  

  Salmon 
  Bellies 
  and 
  Backs. 
  

  

  The 
  so-called 
  salmon 
  belly, 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  the 
  abdominal 
  walls 
  

   of 
  the 
  fish 
  cut 
  in 
  one 
  piece 
  and 
  put 
  up 
  as 
  a 
  pickled 
  product, 
  is 
  regarded 
  

   by 
  the 
  initiated 
  as 
  quite 
  a 
  delicacy. 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  fishermen 
  and 
  

   other 
  cannery 
  employees 
  who 
  go 
  to 
  Alaska 
  for 
  the 
  fishing 
  season 
  often 
  

   put 
  up 
  a 
  kit 
  or 
  a 
  small 
  barrel 
  of 
  bellies 
  to 
  take 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  faU 
  is 
  evi- 
  

   dence 
  of 
  the 
  popularity 
  of 
  this 
  article. 
  The 
  preparation 
  of 
  salmon 
  

   belHes 
  for 
  the 
  market 
  is 
  not 
  conducted 
  at 
  present 
  along 
  very 
  extensive 
  

   lines 
  in 
  Alaska. 
  In 
  1913, 
  the 
  product 
  was 
  451 
  barrels, 
  and 
  in 
  1914 
  

   it 
  was 
  4C6 
  barrels, 
  valued 
  at 
  $5,454. 
  These 
  figures 
  have 
  been 
  

   included 
  in 
  the 
  table 
  of 
  pickled 
  salmon 
  shown 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  When 
  salmon 
  beUies 
  are 
  put 
  up, 
  it 
  is 
  required 
  by 
  the 
  Department 
  

   that 
  the 
  remaining 
  edible 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  must 
  be 
  utilized 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  observe 
  the 
  provisions 
  of 
  section 
  8 
  of 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  June 
  26, 
  19C6, 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  wanton 
  waste 
  or 
  destruction 
  of 
  salmon 
  or 
  other 
  food 
  

   fishes 
  taken 
  or 
  caught 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  Alaska. 
  In 
  accordance 
  

   with 
  this 
  requirement 
  of 
  the 
  law, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  practice 
  when 
  

   preparing 
  beUies 
  to 
  make 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  backs, 
  either 
  dried, 
  pickled, 
  or 
  

   smoked. 
  The 
  dried 
  form 
  is 
  used 
  ordinarily 
  as 
  dog 
  feed. 
  In 
  1914 
  the 
  

   product 
  of 
  dried 
  backs 
  amounted 
  to 
  9,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  cohos 
  and 
  6,000 
  

   pounds 
  of 
  humpbacks, 
  having 
  a 
  total 
  value 
  of 
  $810. 
  The 
  production 
  

   of 
  pickled 
  backs 
  was 
  2,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  reds, 
  1,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  hump- 
  

   backs, 
  and 
  14,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  chums, 
  the 
  total 
  value 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  $280. 
  

   In 
  addition, 
  8,000 
  pounds 
  of 
  red 
  backs 
  valued 
  at 
  $400 
  were 
  smoked. 
  

  

  