52 THE FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1906. 



HERRING. 



The herring fishery is of considerable importance in Southeast 

 Alaska, although much neglected in other parts of the district. 

 According to the best information obtainable, the herrmg in South- 

 east Alaska begin to spawn during May and continue in some localities 

 as late as July 1. The grounds are widely distributed, extending 

 from Howkan on the south to Skagway and out through Icy Straits 

 to Cross Sound on the north. Immediately after spawning the fish 

 school in great abundance out in the deep water, especially in Fred- 

 erick Sound and the southern end of Stephens' passage, and then 

 reenter the bays for the purpose of feeding. Dm-ing July and August 

 they are filled with a red feed which makes them very difficult to cure. 

 In September and October apparently they change their food, for the 

 red substance is not then noticeable in their stomachs, and at this 

 time they are in their prime. The runs are usually composed of 

 mixed sizes, although in early summer there are said to be numerous 

 bays where all the herring will be of small size. 



In the early part of 1906 some good catches of herring were made 

 in Gastineau channel. There was also a fair run during the summer, 

 but the numbers seemed to drop off very seriously in the fall months, 

 and the fishermen found it impossible to get enough to supply the 

 demands of the halibut fleet for bait. They charge this condition to 

 the fertilizer plant at Killisnoo, which consumes chiefly herring, and 

 whose fishing operations they claim also break up the schools and 

 drive the fish out mto the deeper water, where they are difficult to 

 catch. This matter will be treated more fully in the discussion of 

 fertilizer and oils. 



There is no question but that the herring fisheries of Alaska will be 

 quite important in the near future. At the present time the only 

 uses made of the fish are in salting for food, selling fresh and salted 

 for bait in the other fisheries, and as fertilizer and oil. The province 

 of British Columbia, which has a run of the same species, is making 

 every effort possible to improve the industry and develop it along 

 varied lines, and in pursuance of this object the Dommion govern- 

 ment sent a Scotch fishery expert out to the Pacific coast the latter 

 part of 1904 to report wherein the methods of packing could be so 

 improved that the product could compete with the foreign and east- 

 ern herring. The substance of his report is as follows: 



(1) Pacific herring, in the main, are smaller and contain far more 

 oil than the Atlantic herring. 



(2) Pacific herring are adapted for kippers, suitable for use within 

 a limited time, but not so suitable for picklmg in barrels to compete 

 with the best Scottish or Norwegian herring. 



