PACIFIC FISHERlfAN 



15 



Progress in the Fisheries of British Columbia 



By DAVID F. WILBER 



American Consul General, Vancouver, B. C. 



THE flshlnft industry of this re^on affords a very 

 111 ' i.itlon. It Is an 



II olumbla'8 pros- 



!'• tr'nl itom that 



la on I ' 

 In tl 

 at all. 

 and will, I • 

 port of mv 

 ev.T I I....V. 



ap- u;n-l ..u!, .ut, 1 tiuiit, neither 



nil lor far fi 



! li and al! -tries of British Co- 



lunilHii I' iMi'si It. I am lulU. a capitalization of 18.- 

 .'•OO.OOO, will li iniiy be classified somewhat as follows: 

 itcneral ll-shlnk' Indiistrv 

 Fishing botti>m.s . 

 Other ve.ssels . . 



Boats |1,70U,U00 



Flahins Rear 700.000 



Plants (othrr i...>.. i... >'UrlnK, 



canning or cold storage) . . 400,000 



$2,800,000 



Sal, 



SaltuiK mill r 11- 11 it; j.i.m: : m.iiiiij 



5,700.000 



$8,600,000 

 xplanatory of these figures, a few statements 

 • ho made. Several British trawlrrs. to !).■ np- 

 1 Prince Rujicrt are to \- 

 ff- I this year. There ar- 



K. til.' I'li's. Ill fl. ■•1. A: 



v;i ■ 

 at 



aK . 

 in pU. 



i»n. 



adilii;.' 



I 



■i. Ml' litajii bi>. HI Uie rlotit; of 

 already rai.sed for expenditure In 

 .111 Iv in 111 ■ There will be some 

 at! ' ies and some of the 



o). ''■'■y new and modern 



or . ..■- . .. . . 1. ".ii-...f I., .■urine 



Sii nts. Uf ' '•■n all 



hi ii and T:. The 



NV-« i-iii^. .111-1 1 .~j. . ■■mpany of i — -.u ;.- n .- leadine 

 American interest loc ileil in Brillsh Columbia, with 

 a cnpitnl of over $.100,000 Investf.l. 



T' ' llgures give substantially, I believe, the 



.sii it will be at the beginning of the flsh- 



IriL; f 1912. that is, this coming spring. 



Tiu! <:atch for 1911 Is estimated as follows: 



Pounds. 

 Salmon, canned ts r.nn nno 



Smoked 



Salted and dried 



Ilfrrir.R. salted or smoked 



Canned, cured, etc 17,025.000 



Killbut 20,000,000 



id 4 2,000,000 



.^almon 4,500,000 



Oulachons 800,000 



Smelt.s . . .' 600,000 



Miscellaneous 200,000 



Fresh and frozen 



Canned, cured, etc 



Fresh and frozen 



Herring (fresh talted used as bai 

 Mixed nsh 



.27.600.000 



47,025.000 



.27.600.000 



. 3.000.000 



600.000 



Total catch 78,026,000 



From thrso tlR-iires It will be seen that the flsh 

 form tv. I s, (a) the salmon canned and 



(b) th' zen product. There are other 



elemen' •• li't.ils salted ithI . nr-il fish. 



shell n V- 



ing. I I 



able di ■y 



time to Hum l>ut a few words regarding the two 

 classes first mentioned will be made. 



The growth of the British Coiumhla canning Indus- 

 try has been pronounced, although the catch \» not 

 Increa.slng rapidly. The best single ria.«s of salmon 

 runs heavily only once In every four years, there be- 

 ing one slack and one ver.v busy year In every pe- 

 riod. This Is. of course, known to every one in the 

 fishing business and Is evident from the following 

 table, giving the pack In 48-pound cases in repre- 

 sentative years: 



r^-:r1f'. 



1897 7 7 



1901 



1905 



J7.4o0 



1909 »67,920 



1S98 •..., 484.161 



1903 478,674 



1907 647.469 



1908 , 642,889 



It Is. therefore, deceptive to Ionic at the totals from 



year to year to gain an Idea of the progress being 

 made. The totals for the four four-year periods In- 

 cluding the years mentioned above show something 

 of a gain, as follows: 



Cases. Pounds. 



1896-1899 .. .2,858,845 136.974,960 



1900-1903 .. ...2.921,226 140.218,800 



1904-1907.. ...2,810.278 134.898,104 



1908-1911 3,221,775 154,646,200 



ToUl 11.806,938 566,732.064 



Puget Sound's pack Is understood to have been In 

 1911 over fifty per cent more than that of British 

 Columbia and Alaska's pack to have more than ex- 

 ceeded the combined production of British Columbia 

 and Puget Sound. 



The canning industry In this i iiartakca of 



a monopoly element through th f the gov- 



ernment to grant licenses for r.i \- in regions 



where, in its opinion, the ji .,ilc."i are prop- 



erly handling the avallab ^ Thfit la, at 



present no, licenses can bp ind the licenses 



already issued are held by the owners as very valua- 



DaTid r. 'WrUber, 

 American Consul General, Vancouver, B. C. 



ble. There Is Invested In these franchise rights 

 fully as much or more capital as was, but a few 

 years ago. Invested In the whole of this branch of 

 the fishing industry. Their market value cannot be 

 Mined and in the table of capitalization I have 

 i the Item entirely, because accurate Informa- 

 -1 not to be had and because the capitallza- 

 iiuii <if such rights Is not. strictly speaking, a legiti- 

 mate Investment in the fishing business. 



It is hard to pstlmate. the influence of this re- 

 striction against the best Interests of the canning 

 imlu.siry of the province. The policy was originally 

 designed to prevent extermination of the salmon 

 but such a policy is no longer necessary because It 

 has been ascertained that by the propagation of the 

 fish In hatcheries, etc.. the province can keep Its 

 supply unimpaired. While conservation of national 

 resources Is admittedly easier of accomplishment in 

 Canada than in the I'nlted Stales, with the fishing 

 as well as other Industries, it must be pointed out 

 that the present organization of the canning in- 

 dustry Is no longer perpetuated with this nrlme 

 Object. Those Interested In the fishing Industry are. 

 T understand, no longer fully convinced that this 

 organization is better for the canning Industry thir- 

 free development would be under government f 

 strlctlons. 



It ts. at any rate. dlfHcult to obtain reliable in- 

 formation as to the development of this branch 

 of the fishing business as those interested in the 

 Industry are very secretive. It Is certain that a 

 few years ago — from limited markets, low prices 

 are less efn^ient management — there was little pro- 

 fit In !" ■ ig business in this province and some 

 of th' .8 had difflculty In continuing. A 

 consl.l. itlon of the capitalization was regu- 

 larly <laf<f?irif(l then as invested In "plants Idle." 

 Now, however, every license is worth a great di^al. 

 Now. more money is received for stuff once thrown 

 away than could be gotten, six years ago, for the 

 best of the product. Now. every little wooden 

 shack that used to house canning machinery U be- 

 ing replaced by a modern plant. Now. for Irslan'-e. 

 one individual concern worth hut $20,000 a short 

 time ago Is said to be worth $6,000,000. The plants 

 cannot Increase In number and exact Informa'inn Is 

 withheld as to the capital sunk in improvements In 

 existing plants, but tt© know that the actual capital 

 Investment Is at least double what it was six years 

 ago and that the value of the properliea has In- 

 creased to vast proportions and enoimous profltd 

 are being made and have been made for flu past 

 few years. 



The Increase of capital to secure a production not 

 much larger than formerly Is accountable Id 'he 

 canning as well as the other branches of the In- 

 dustry to the increased cost of obtalping catches 

 equal to what were gotten formerly. This is lees 

 true, however, with the salmon for canning than 

 with the salmon and halibut for fresh and frsz^^n 

 production though It Is an Important factor. In 

 the canning industry, the rcplscemTit of out of 

 date equipment has been exl- 



The aea.son of 1911 was extc 

 removal of the close season In 



was but little less than that of ll"'?. the lani "big" 

 year, although the catch was principally if the 

 poorer grades. In fact. It will be noted that throtigh- 

 out the last four year period the poi.r ^ have 



helped to make a larger total Atnd t itch of 



the best qualities has rather remn tlonery 



In amount than Increased. There has been a tend- 

 ency, too. toward the equalisation of yearly pro- 

 duction In the same way. 



The restrictions on the establishment of new 

 canneries in British Columbia will have a benrficlal 

 effect upon the development of the Alaskan canning 

 Industry as well «■ a detrimental erfect upon the 



free development of this provlnc. 



pOlllUIi of llic 



tin future of I 



.--eetlon catirio- 

 bi> nr.twi ■ 

 to in* ami 



l->*:eausf i : 



Ing stn-aiiij.. ll i'li 



will neviT .S.I k .iii\ 



will Il.jl l.j<e 

 fish Industry ^ 

 the fresh and i 



•I. 1.1 when the latti r 

 K I hikan. Prince Rupei 



:- 1.1 of as at present. 



Within the pro- 

 is said, shift 

 I river and 

 1! f,'o..d pro- 

 ling 

 his 

 . . ver. 



. of biihnun will continue 

 • llsli-propa,?<itlo.i work and 

 1 ili.r of inlets and »ca-IIow- 

 II >.• pon with salmon which 

 tli.r I i-ast. 



V''- " ' i' • .! there Is no movement of 



h the flsh constltuUng the 



on. The bulk of this calcli 



• i . I -> .- .....I ..i migratory flsii and along the 



.•loiiili'iti iirulsh Columbia coast and in the Ptigel 



Siiirii! diRtrlrt. Their home grounds were always 



"' 'he AlaHkan and the northern Brltisii Columbia 



^. Now tile migratory catch appeals tn have 



fished out and it is necessary to go northward 



' 1 111. grounds nt Hecate straits and ad,laeent 



1 : ' \' lian or international walers to fill out 



: 1 '■.',;■ 1 ■ ■-• i5niithcrn cnfches. 



little but 111 for the 

 igh It will exi'erlence 

 iiied flsh production. It 

 liroportion of the canned 

 IS it will its proportion of 

 j 11' Thi time is about al 

 to t'ciiler about 

 hboring <llles In- 

 . IS for the Alaskan 

 Puget Sound cities will benefit indlr.vile .i 

 - he reimbursed to an extent for their loss of 

 -1 ■ ■ ; nr.iflts. 

 Il.siibs til.' nrressity of fishing further north, un 

 iiili'i. "itink' i.nlut Is the rapid Increase In lli« Iium- 

 hir of cold storage plants In northern British Co- 

 lumbia and Alaska. They afford a great advantage. 

 Fish going Into th.-ir "sharp" rooms are coated with 

 an \c-'. Jacket within as many hours after being 

 caught as It Is days for fish frozen at Vancouver 

 or Seattle. Tinder the most favorable con.lltlona. 

 with the shifted fl.shing fields fish are from sl.'< 

 to twenty days old when they reach this port or 

 .Seattle. The greater freshness of flsh frozen near 

 the fields Is too apparent a gain to require com- 

 ment. 



The frozen flsh production will each year encroach 

 more upon the quantity of fresh flsh shipped. Up 

 to 1911. it Is safe to say that but fifteen per cent, 

 at the most, of the frtsh and frozen output was 

 frozen. The past year saw the fifteen per cent 

 stretched to at least thirty per cent and by 1913 

 the output promises. I am told, to be about half 

 fresh and half frozen. It Is likely that this tend- 

 ency toward frozen Instead of fresh fish will be 

 accelerated by the developments of thi."" 



Cold storage plants ate. of course. • 

 prices and insurers of profit. But tl 

 always given satisfactory results In th: 

 of flsh. The dwindling of the fresh fish pi 

 now Is due to the greater number of cold 

 plants In part but more largely to the strhitr^ .,,..i 

 have been made in the methods of treatment. The 

 doctrine of slow freezing and quick thawing has 

 given place to quick freezing and slow thawing. The 

 flsh go as soon as possible Into a temperature of 

 twenty or more degrees below zero Instead of being 

 frozen by the salt and Ice method. Thawing has 

 been found to be best accomplished by placing the 

 flsh In cold Instead of warm water, as formerly was 

 the practice. These changes In ' t enable 



the retailer to deliver flsh which. ved out 



hy the consumer In cold water, ar. w hours 



'' ind have ■ ' frozen flsh much more ac- 



hie than t. 



1 i.ng In til' rhood of the i 



and many of tl..' .uiining plants. Pi 

 the Pacific terminal of the Grand Trunl 

 way. will. It Ff>rms probable, gain a i 

 of til' A certain porthm will still go 



to \' Seattle by water, particularly 



from ISC of the cheai>. 



cause liiiMicdlate delivery is not c- 

 In my opinion, the coming pre-e:i 

 Rupert, so far us tiie fishing indu.^ . 



is a point of very great importance. 



of greatest production are shortly to be In Britlsli 

 Columbia and Alaska. The completion of the Grand 

 Trunk Pacific railway to Its Paclflc terminal will 

 be another factor In taking from southern Hrifish 

 Columbia its Importance in the fresh and frozen 

 fi.sh industry. The railroad announces that, by easy 

 mountain grades and a more direct route it will 



be able to .""i-.. ■•- -..i«t. .i. — r t,---: ' Rupert 



to the ea- ,,, -Van- 



couver, r: ;,e case, 



the route \si.i .-r "i tn.' Kc'iticHi vniue to trie fresh 

 flsh Industry because It Is the hypotheniise of a 

 right angled triangle whose spex Is at Vancouver 

 (or Seattle) with one of !" ' ' -j at the Ash- 



ing flelds and the other a' irket. Since 



It 1^ do'-lrable that they -t direct and 



■ "" 1.'* route, fresh nsh stiipmrnls will be 



I- the railroad's completion, through the 

 ' -'nee Rupert. 



".. however, that even the completion 



unk Pacific railway will divert much 



fmzrn and canned production. The 



lines are giving satisfactory 



• It seems, and are providing 



VrnandP. Tin v li,a\e. also. The 



■ i'-in 



of 



iiM .storage 

 ■ rt. 



ill- 

 ' Ion 



ra 1 e,s and be- 

 '1. 



1" Prince 

 ricerned. 

 The centers 



It : 

 of th' 

 of th. 

 American 

 service fr' 

 amply for 



■ (ages ac 

 and the 



■ ' '•■ nth. r ' • , : nf 



the ' i.rodii. lion because of similar ad- 



vant.' d by Canadian vessels, their lower 



cost ' "on and iVf strafoirir- irnnnrtnnce of 



Prince Rupert. General! 1 though 



the American railways v. mint of 



shipments destined to llii Ameri- 

 can boats will have a growing amount of business 

 with Alaska's advance. 



Alaska Is of much more Importance thaii formerly 

 but it Is still behind Canada In the development that 

 has occurred and In the facliitleB that are already 

 provided. It may not have Its proper share of the 

 Industry until British Columbia's production has 



