Cobb. — Fisheries of the Pacific. 69 



What little knowledge we have of the spider crab is to 

 the effect that it is a resident of our deeper coastal waters, 

 and it is probable that it will be found all along the outer 

 coast, and possibly in certain of the straits and sounds of 

 Southeast Alaska. 



MANY UNSOLVED FISHERY PROBLEMS 



It is surprising how little we know of the life histories of 

 the aquatic animals of the Pacific. This is especially true 

 of the migrations, etc., of the herring, halibut, tuna, albacore, 

 mackerel, and other species, of the Pacific, and when the 

 life history of these has been worked out, I hope to see an 

 immense extension of the herring fisheries, and a lesser 

 expansion of the others. 



We have but fragmentary surveys of the fishing banks. 

 Most of this work has been done by the "Albatross" on the 

 occasions when she was not otherwise employed. The sur- 

 veys were exceedingly meager, the data and material col- 

 lected very slight in quantity, while large areas that our 

 fishery people were interested in were not covered. It is 

 my belief that the cod banks off the Alaska coast extend 

 much farther to the westward than the government surveys 

 indicate; that the known banks are much more extensive 

 than are plotted; and that halibut will be found to extend 

 much farther to the westward than is now supposed to be 

 the case. 



Small power vessels of the type used in halibut fishing, 

 would be ideal for making such surveys. The type has been 

 developed to fit the peculiar conditions prevailing in the 

 North Pacific ocean, and as they are extremely economical 

 to operate, the expense would be kept to a minimum. 



As we are far from many of the consuming markets of 

 the world, it is necessary that we prepare most of our pro- 

 ducts in such a manner that it will be possible to hold them 

 for considerable periods of time, and also that they will be 

 in proper condition to be shipped to far distant markets. 

 Canning more nearly fills these requirements, but it is not 

 feasible with some products, while with others, the consumer 

 demands them either fresh, frozen, or pickled, in prefer- 

 ence to canned. 



There is a wide field for the working out of the methods 

 best suited to the preparation of food products from the 

 many hitherto neglected, or but little used, aquatic species 

 found in the Pacific. Up to two years ago, this field was 

 almost totally neglected, and even today but little active 



