CHAPTER VIII. 



FISH AND FISHERIES. 



THE FISHEEIES OF ALASKA. 



The value of the interests in tbe Territory dassed under this 

 head has been greatly overrated by writers, who have created an 

 impression that there are extensive banks upon which cod may 

 be taken, of the same quality and with the same success that 

 attends the labors of fishermen on the Newfoundland Banks. 

 This is untrue ; but salmon, herring, and halibut are abundant, 

 the salmon being the most valuable fishing interest, and only 

 one of real commercial importance ou the whole northwest 

 coast. 



There are not on this coast the variety and excellence of fish 

 that is common to the Atlantic seaboard, and the shad and 

 soup runs" of the East are without a parallel in these waters. 

 There are bat few species here that have an economic value in 

 regard to the subsistence of the natives, from Bering Straits 

 to Dixon's Sound, viz : the salmon, cod-fish, sculping or rock- 

 cod, {Sebastes,) and halibut. Of the first, there is, both in 

 quality and quantity, enough to warrant commercial activity 

 and imi)ortance; of the second, the quantity and quality 

 are insufiicient, in a business point of view, provided even the 

 demand was always equal to the supply. Halibut might be 

 cured in a small way; but the rock-cod and sculpins are worth- 

 less, except to the Indians, when unable to procure either 

 salmon or cod ; the famous " oolichan" is confined to the Nasse 

 Eiver. 



These fish are distributed throughout the Territory as fol- 

 lows ; and first in the order of importance is — 



1. Salmon. — Almost every stream, big or little, that empties 

 into the sea or its bays, throughout the whole Territory, islands, 

 and mainland, is visited at regular x>eriods by one or more spe- 

 cies of this genus, in greater or less numbers, with the widest 

 range of variation in quality ; the runs of this fish in IMay and 

 June up the large rivers in this Territory being enormous. 



During the last ten or twelve years steps have been taken by 

 competent men on the Frazer Eiver and the Columbia to util- 

 ize and turn to profit these great runs of the finest fish; but 

 the industry of salting them for exportation failed, and a new 



