54 THE FISHEKIES OF ALASKA IN 1906. 



FERTILIZER AND OIL. 



The question whether fertilizer plants in Alaska should be per- 

 mitted to utilize food-fishes in their work is a subject of considerable 

 interest to the people of the district. A heavily signed protest, 

 asking for the enactment of a prohibitory law, has been presented to 

 Congress by citizens of Southeast Alaska. 



At the present time there is but one fertilizer plant — that of the 

 Alaska Oil and Guano Company, at Killisnoo — engaged in the indus- 

 try to any extent. This plant was built originally to handle herring, 

 and since it began to operate, in 1882, has produced 4,281,420 gal- 

 lons of oil, valued at $1,055,368, and 29,319,800 pounds of fertilizer, 

 valued at $349,349, with the addition of four years' output of fertilizer 

 for which records are wanting. In the early years of the industry the 

 vast majority of the fish taken were herring, but of late years this 

 species has become so scarce in the vicinity of the ])lant that large 

 quantities of salmon have been utilized to fill out. In 1906 the pro- 

 porti(m was 33,500 barrels of herring and 18,000 barrels of salmon, of 

 which latter it is probable that a small portion was dogfish and 

 sharks, although the company's official report does not so stat^. 

 The salmon used are said to be humpbacks and dogs, both excellent 

 food fishes, and the former furnishing the major part of the salmon 

 canned in Southeast Alaska. Dog salmon were formerly much 

 neglected and considered really a refuse fish, but when in 1900 they 

 were dry-salted for the Japanese trade which had sprung up, the 

 demand became so great that in 1905, 7,280,234 pounds, valued at 

 $115,643, were dry-salted, while 41,972 cases, valued at $113,056, 

 were canned. In 1906 the output of dry-salted dog salmon dropped 

 (for reasons explained elsewhere in this report) to 1,081,680 pounds, 

 valued at $16,449, but the pack of canned salmon increased to 254,812 

 cases, valued at $730,235. In addition, several hundred barrels were 

 pickled. In view of its great importance as food, the use of salmon 

 (except offal) in the preparation of fertilizer should be absolutely 

 prohibited. 



For the use of herring the plea of the company has been that these 

 fish were not being used for food, and could not be so prepared 

 profitably. This was true for some years subsequent to the establish- 

 ment of the Killisnoo plant; but it is not true now. Since 1891, the 

 earhest year for which data are available, 9,255 half-barrels and 

 41,840 barrels of salted herring, valued at $217,726, have been pre- 

 pared for food or as bait for use in the other fisheries, while 107,134 

 pounds of smoked herring, valued at $4,553, and 3,173 cases of sar- 

 dines, valued at $12,059, were prepared and marketed. A small part 

 of the salted pack was put up by the fertilizer company from a few 

 of the best fish brought in. 



