ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES, 1911. 57 



Tlie Taku Canning & Cold Storage Co., which operates a sahnon 

 cannery at Taku Harbor, southeast Alaska, canned some halibut this 

 year. The Revilla Fish Products Co. of Ketchikan expects to engage 

 regularly in canning halibut next season. 



In previous years halibut were taken in the waters of central 

 Alaska for local consumption only. This year the schooner Metlia 

 Nelson, which was operated as a floating freezer, put up, in addition 

 to other species, some frozen halibut. 



As heretofore, the halibut fleet was very much hampered in its 

 operations by the lack of bait during the winter months. At this 

 season, owing to the inclement weather which prevents the bait fish- 

 ermen from working and the scarcity of herring, fresh bait is difhcult 

 to procure and vessels are frequently laid up for days at a time waiting 

 for this necessary article. Salt bait is used when absolutely neces- 

 sary, but it has never proved very successful. 



The most feasible method for overcoming this condition of affairs 

 would 1)6 the establishment of small freezers at Juneau, Hoonah or 

 Killisnoo, Scow Bay or Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan, where 

 herrmg received from the fishermen during the summer and early 

 fall, when most abundant, could be frozen and stored until needed in 

 the late fall and whiter. The New England Fish Co., at its Ketchi- 

 kan plant, freezes a large quantity of herring each year, which supplies 

 bait to its own vessels and to the small vessels which deliver their 

 catches of halibut to its plant. 



STATISTICS. 



During tlie year there were 651 persons emj^loved in all branches 

 of the industry. The total investment was $1,194,073. The pre- 

 pared weight of the catch amounted to 17,315,171 pounds, which 

 sold for $822,362, a small increase in the total over 1910, but a slight 

 decrease in the output of southeast Alaska. There was a slight falling 

 off in the number of vessel fishermen, while there was little over half 

 the number of shore fishermen employed. With this may be noted a 

 marked decrease in the number of small launches, bringing about a 

 slightly smaller total investment in the fishery in spite of a heavier 

 valuation of the larger vessels and shore property. In this connec- 

 tion it should be stated that the shipments reported by the Puget 

 Sound fleet operating in Alaska fell from 3,531,644 pounds in 1910 

 to 2,399,379 pounds in 1911. These figures may indicate the begin- 

 ning of a depletion of the southeast Alaska insliore halibut banks. 

 Central Alaska this year furnished 89,479 pounds, the first product 

 of the western banks. 



