82 



PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



Frozen Fish Review 



The frozen fish industry of the Pa- 

 cific Coast is rapidly becoming one of 

 the most important in the country. 

 As noted below, it has increased too 

 rapidly in certain lines, but the in- 

 dustry will soon adjust itself to the 

 requirements of the consuming marK- 

 ets. Too much stress, however, can- 

 not be laid upon the necessity for a 

 cessation of the building of new plants. 

 But few of the plants now operate to 

 more than a portion of their capacity, 

 and it will probably be several years 

 before the consuming markets will be 

 large enough to absorb the full out- 

 put of the present plants. 



Halibut. — In 1913 several new cold 

 storage plants were erected and these, 

 in conjunction with those already es- 

 tablished, froze a very large amount 

 of halibut. When it came time to mar- 

 ket this large pack — in the winter of 

 1913-14 — it proved too heavy a burden 

 and the wholesale market gave way 

 under the strain. A few plants were 

 able early to market a part of their 

 fish, but most of them were compelled 

 to carry these fish for months before 

 they could be disposed of. 



Salmon and Steelhead. — The break- 

 ing out of the war proved a great set- 

 back to the frozen salmon and steel- 

 head trade, as it cut off for some 

 months our large and hitherto con- 

 stantly expanding trade with Germany. 

 Despite this, most of the plants packed 

 about as usual, trusting that a way 

 would lie found to reach the German 

 market, or that our own people would 

 consume the surplus. While the trade 

 is still much hampered, a considerable 

 quantity of the pack is being marketed 

 in Europe, means having been devised 

 for getting it through to Germany, 

 while our own markets have proven 

 fairly responsive. 



1914— FROZEN FOOD FISH PREPARED— 1914 



• Frozen for s.m Juan Fishing & Packing Co. 



t Estimated. 



fish needs good attention by absolute- 

 ly experienced men, and that this sal- 

 mon has to be handled in cold stor- 

 age. The reputation of the Alaska 

 mild-cured salmon has already re- 

 ceived an awful blow during the last 

 two seasons on account of so many 

 fish being put up so carelessly. The 

 salmon for mild-curing should also 

 not be bought at a uniform price per 

 piece or per pound wherever the fa- 

 cilities for grading and selecting are 

 given. 



As regards the Steelhead market. I 

 may say that I am not looking for big 

 sales, even at normal prices, and even 

 figuring on an end of the war before 

 the spring season opens. 



We must take into consideration that 

 it will be quite some time before the 

 trade of the belligerent countries and 

 also the neutral European countries, 

 which have been suffering on account 

 of the war considerably, will recover, 

 f Signed) F. KLEVENHUSEN. 



MILD-CURED SALMON PACK ON THE PACIFIC COAST, 



1897-1914. 



• Shown in tierces holding about 800 pounds offish. King. Chinook or Spring salmon are used 



Almost exclusively. From most places the data are i plete from the time of th«' inception of the 



industry, but from a few minor places the data are somewhat fragmentary. 



t Includes 128 tierces of mild-cured Cohos. 



t Includes 271 tierces of mild-cured Cohos aud 9 tierces of Dog salmorj. 



K Includes 03 tierces of mild-cured Dog salmon. 



6 All Cohos. 



