THE FISHERIES OF ALASKA ITS 1906. 29 



CENTRAL ALASKA. 



The salmon fisheries of Southeast and Western Alaska are so much 

 more important than those of Central Alaska that only a small pro- 

 portion of the time available for the canvass was devoted to the latter 

 section. The data for Central Alaska were collected in the course of 

 a few brief visits, and are less complete than for the remainder of the 

 district. 



Orca. — The one cannery operated on Prince William Sound is at 

 Orca, and is owned by the Northwestern Fisheries Company. The 

 earliest Alaska run of salmon occurs on this sound, and on June 22 the 

 cannery had packed slightly over half of its total outfit. The run 

 dropped off later, it is reported, and finally the cannery shut doAvn 

 with several thousand cases of its 40,000-case outfit still unfilled. 

 The first king salmon was taken on May 3, and the first red salmon on 

 May 9. The principal fishing grounds early in the season are the 

 Delta of Copper River, and off Chilkat, just back of Kyack. In July 

 the principal fishing is carried on at Miners River, Billys Hole, and 

 Chinigua, all in Prince William Sound. 



Kasilof. — The fishing season at Kasilof, on Cook Inlet, was over 

 before this place was reached in the canvass. The cannery building, 

 which is owned by the Alaska Packers' Association, burned down on 

 July 12, 1905. It was rebuilt this spring and outfitted for 45,000 

 cases, of which it is understood about 35,000 to 40,000 cases were 

 filled. 



Karluk. — Two canneries of the Alaska Packers' Association were 

 operated here. The first fish, a red salmon, was taken on June 5, but 

 the run did not begin until about July 17. From that date until the 

 last visit of inspection the run had continued unabated. In addition 

 to supplying his own canneries, the superintendent had sent to the 

 association's cannery at Chignik 53,000 red salmon, and to the one at 

 Alitak enough to make 8,940 cases. At the association's hatchery on 

 Karluk River, on June 24, there were still about 20,000,000 fry in the 

 ponds and hatching troughs, about 6,000,000 fry having been depos- 

 ited in the river. About 18,000 spawners were then in the corral, 

 preparatory to the next season. On August 18, when this place 

 was again visited, it was estimated that the hatchery had secured 

 36,000,000 eggs. 



Uyalx. — The Northwestern Fisheries Company formerly operated 

 two canneries at this place, but one burned down in June of last year, 

 and probably will not be rebuilt. Extensive repairs and improve- 

 ments were this season made to the remaining cannery. The first 

 fish, a red salmon, was taken on June 8, but, as at Karluk, the main 

 run did not begin until July 19, and this run was continuing unabated 

 in August. As the run was too large to handle at one stage, 85,799 



