24 EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



less destruction of edible fish, which the Bureau has from the begin- 

 ning endeavored to establish, is apparently growing. It is believed, 

 also, that the time will soon come when the use as fertilizer of fish 

 which would otherwise be used as food or bait will be discontinued. 



A report giving statistical and other information regarding the 

 commercial fisheries of Alaska, based on the 1910 inspections, has 

 been published and widely distributed. The statistical canvass of 

 the fisheries as therein set forth shows the number of persons en- 

 gaged to have been 15,620, an increase of 3,032 over the previous year. 

 Of these, 6,836 were whites, 4,147 Indians, 2,411 Chinese, 2,206 Jap- 

 anese, 4 Koreans, 16 Filipinos, as compared with 5,608 whites, 2,823 

 Indians, 1,998 Chinese, and 2,159 Japanese in 1909, an increase in 

 1910 of 1,228 whites, 1,324 Indians, 413 Chinese, and 47 Japanese. 

 It is especially gratifying to note that the increase is chiefly in the 

 whites and Indians employed, as all the Indians and many of the 

 whites are permanent residents of Alaska. 



The total investment in the fisheries, exclusive of cash capital 

 ($8,604,437), was $12,106,985, an increase of $2,225,303 as com- 

 pared with 1909. Nearly all forms of apparatus show increases over 

 1909. The total quantity of products taken was 214,536,433 pounds, 

 valued at $13,259,859, an increase of 12,553,195 pounds and $2,078,471 

 over 1909. 



The run of salmon was good in all sections except in western 

 Alaska. The number and weight of each species of salmon taken 

 were as follows : 



Species. 



Coho or silver 



Dog or chum 



Humpback or pink. 



King or spring 



Sockeye or red 



Total 



2,344,285 



10,722,966 



412,543 



19,202,776 



5,980,104 

 18,754,280 

 42,891,864 



9,075,946 

 96,013,880 



33,679,254 



172,716,074 



Compared with 1909, there was a decrease of 1,013,354 fish, or 

 2,312,520 pounds. 



The number of canneries operated was 52, of which 23 were in 

 southeast Alaska, an increase of 4 over 1909; 10 in central Alaska, 

 an increase of 2; and 19 in western Alaska, an increase of 1. There 

 were 176 steamers and launches over 5 tons, 55 under 5 tons, and 59 

 sailing vessels engaged in transporting supplies and the pack. This 

 is a large increase over 1909. The total pack of salmon was 2,438,777 

 cases, valued at $11,086,322. 



The mild-curing of salmon showed a marked increase over the 

 previous year, as did also the shipment of fresh salmon to Puget 

 Sound ports. 



