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  ALASKA 
  FISHERIES 
  AND 
  FUR 
  INDUSTRIES, 
  1913. 
  

  

  most 
  abundant 
  are 
  the 
  red 
  rockfishes 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  cod, 
  with 
  the 
  

   former 
  predommatmg 
  in 
  number 
  when 
  all 
  grounds 
  are 
  considered. 
  

   True 
  cod 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  largest 
  numbers 
  where 
  the 
  depletion 
  of 
  hahbut 
  

   is 
  most 
  pronounced; 
  and 
  deep-sea 
  soles, 
  flounders, 
  and 
  skates 
  are 
  

   most 
  numerous 
  on 
  a 
  muddy 
  bottom. 
  It 
  is 
  certain 
  that 
  the 
  total 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  these 
  fishes 
  at 
  present 
  wasted 
  is 
  enormous 
  in 
  the 
  aggre- 
  

   gate; 
  in 
  weight 
  it 
  is 
  probably 
  at 
  least 
  one-half 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  halibut 
  

   itself. 
  That 
  such 
  a 
  situation 
  should 
  not 
  long 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  continue 
  

   is 
  obvious. 
  

  

  Stormy 
  weather, 
  during 
  wliich 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  rough 
  to 
  work 
  from 
  dories, 
  

   occurs 
  very 
  frequently 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  months, 
  and 
  it 
  often 
  

   happens 
  that 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  gear 
  set 
  out 
  is 
  never 
  recovered. 
  In 
  

   the 
  meantime 
  the 
  baited 
  hoolcs 
  resting 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  continue 
  to 
  

   lure 
  and 
  capture 
  fish 
  which 
  are 
  never 
  brought 
  to 
  the 
  surface, 
  and 
  which 
  

   inevitably 
  come 
  to 
  a 
  miserable 
  end. 
  How 
  important 
  a 
  factor 
  tliis 
  

   condition 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  depletion 
  of 
  the 
  grounds 
  is 
  problematical, 
  but 
  in 
  

   those 
  regions 
  most 
  subject 
  to 
  unfavorable 
  weather 
  it 
  certainly 
  must 
  

   contribute 
  in 
  no 
  little 
  degree 
  to 
  the 
  threatened 
  future 
  of 
  the 
  fishery. 
  

   Fishermen 
  freely 
  admit 
  heavy 
  losses 
  of 
  gear, 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  deny 
  that 
  

   the 
  results 
  of 
  such 
  losses 
  can 
  not 
  help 
  being 
  felt 
  in 
  time. 
  The 
  inter- 
  

   vals 
  of 
  fair 
  weather 
  are 
  so 
  infrequent 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  

   under 
  discussion 
  that 
  every 
  moment 
  when 
  dory 
  fishing 
  may 
  be 
  car- 
  

   ried 
  on 
  is 
  taken 
  advantage 
  of, 
  and 
  frequently 
  lines 
  are 
  laid 
  out 
  on 
  the 
  

   mere 
  chance 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  recovered 
  later, 
  notwithstanding 
  that 
  

   all 
  signs 
  point 
  to 
  the 
  contrary. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  result 
  of 
  this, 
  and 
  probably 
  due 
  in 
  part 
  also 
  to 
  the 
  establish- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  cold-storage 
  plants 
  in 
  close 
  proximity 
  to 
  the 
  more 
  prolific 
  

   fishing 
  localities, 
  another 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  vessels 
  and 
  their 
  

   methods 
  has 
  been 
  inaugurated. 
  This 
  latest 
  development 
  is 
  toward 
  a 
  

   reduction 
  in 
  the 
  size, 
  power, 
  and 
  cost 
  of 
  maintenance 
  of 
  halibut 
  

   cruisers. 
  The 
  idea 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  shall 
  be 
  sufficiently 
  large 
  to 
  remain 
  at 
  

   sea 
  in 
  moderately 
  heavy 
  weather, 
  such 
  as 
  when 
  trawl 
  fine 
  work 
  from 
  

   dories 
  would 
  be 
  unsafe, 
  and 
  at 
  such 
  times 
  to 
  set, 
  under-run, 
  and 
  reset 
  

   the 
  lines 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  craft 
  itself. 
  To 
  this 
  end 
  the 
  power 
  "gurdy," 
  

   a 
  sort 
  of 
  winch 
  for 
  lifting 
  the 
  ground 
  fine 
  from 
  the 
  bottom, 
  has 
  been 
  

   devised 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  expected 
  to 
  come 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  into 
  general 
  use. 
  

   As 
  the 
  employment 
  of 
  power 
  entails 
  a 
  greater 
  strain 
  on 
  the 
  gear 
  

   handled, 
  the 
  tendency 
  is 
  toward 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  heavier 
  ground 
  lines, 
  and 
  

   one 
  dealer 
  in 
  Seattle 
  has 
  already 
  laid 
  in 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  36-pound 
  stuff 
  to 
  

   take 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  30 
  and 
  32 
  pound 
  articles 
  at 
  present 
  in 
  vogue. 
  

  

  That 
  a 
  further 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  hahbut 
  fishing 
  industry 
  may 
  be 
  

   expected 
  with 
  the 
  opening 
  of 
  the 
  Panama 
  Canal 
  is 
  not 
  improbable. 
  

   It 
  is 
  reported 
  that 
  agents 
  of 
  certain 
  Atlantic 
  steamship 
  lines 
  are 
  

   already 
  planning 
  to 
  equip 
  vessels 
  with 
  cold-storage 
  accommodations 
  

   of 
  several 
  hundred 
  tons 
  capacity 
  each, 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  the 
  transporta- 
  

  

  