12 HALIBUT FISHING GROUNDS OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



boats is shipped to the United States market as product of Canadian 

 fisheries, a duty of 1 cent per pound is to be paid United States 

 Customs Service. 



As portions of everj^ cargo are unsuitable for shipping long dis- 

 tances, it is important that a market be found in Canada near 

 Vancouver. 



These two companies operate, in connection with their steamers, 

 60 to 70 small fishing boats, or dories, with two men in each, and 300 

 miles of fishing lines, and about 20 operatives at their warehouses in 

 Vancouver, British Columbia. The combined product of the five 

 steamers has been about 16,000,000 pounds of fish yearly. In addi- 

 tion, this company has a large cold-storage plant and warehouse 

 near Ketchikan, Alaska, where it receives from its own steamers and 

 other fishing craft something like 2,000,000 pounds yearly, which are 

 transshii^pod (mostly frozen) to Seattle or Vancouver and in refrig- 

 erator cars to eastern markets. About 40 fishing craft, of 15 to 40 

 tons register and belonging in Seattle and southeastern Alaska, bring 

 and sell their catches to this company at Ketchikan during a part of 

 the time. 



Five steamers of an average value of $25,000 each (with outfit) 

 are operated by the firms in Seattle and, in addition, one steamer and 

 one or two power craft are operated from Tacoma. The fishing firms 

 also operate gasoline power boats and about 54 power craft are 

 operated independently from Seattle and Tacoma. During the 

 winter months, or between September and April, about 40 of these 

 craft operate in southeast Alaska waters, and, in connection with the 

 power fishing craft of southeast Alaska, ship their catches by the 

 steamers plying in winter between Juneau, Alaska, and Seattle. An 

 average of three small boats with two fishermen in each is carried on 

 the power and sail craft, of which there are 88 altogether. The 

 aggregate of fishermen so engaged from Seattle and southeast Alaska 

 is 600, in addition to the crews employed on the steamers, or alto- 

 gether 1,060 men. The Scandinavian race predominates. 



The banks of southeast Alaska are likely to become valuable as 

 soon as a method is perfected for handling the catch so that it will 

 reach the consinner in satisfactory condition for food. This will 

 greatly increase the importance of the fisheries of the Pacific coast 

 and will stimulate the development of other industries which may be 

 established in connection with fishing. 



