42 
and glue, 142,480 pounds, value $56,600; guano, 84 tons, value 
$2,350; total value, $58,950. These figures cover only the oils and 
fertilizers made from dogfish and fish offal, and do not include the 
whole products, which were valued at $357,500, in 1908. 
THE OOLACHAN AND THE SMELT. 
The candle fish (Thaleichthys Pacificus), known locally as the 
oolachan, or eulachon, should be of considerable commercial value. 
It runs in enormous quantities up the rivers and inlets of the 
Coast, coming into the Naas about the middle or latter part of 
March, and reaching the Fraser about the middle of April, 
deteriorating somewhat in quality as it comes southward. This 
is a delicious pan fish and is greatly in favour in its season. It, 
however, like the skil, is too tender for carriage, and has, therefore, 
only a local market. It is about nine inches in length, and so 
plentiful at times when running as to be scooped up in bucketfuls. 
A good many are put up in pickle in small kits and cured like 
bloaters, but not much progress has been made in these directions, 
remarks applying similarly to those in regard to the skil. 
The Indians catch them in immense quantities and extract the 
“oolachan grease,” which they use much as we do butter. 
Oolachan oil, properly refined, might become of commercial value, 
there being practically no limit to their numbers. Experiments 
have been made with oolachan by bottling and canning, it is said, 
with success. The oolachans have many enemies besides the 
Indians. The seal, sturgeon, salmon and porpoise follow them in 
their run, and even bears and pigs gorge themselves on them when 
the opportunity offers. If they could be preserved, as indicated, for 
export, so as to retain their flavour and body, they would undoubt- 
edly demand a sale co-extensive with sardines. 
There are two varieties of smelts common in the local markets 
(Osmerus thaleichthys and Hypomesus pretiosus), which are in 
brisk demand. 
Mr. Sword notes a substantial increase in the oolachan and 
smelt fisheries, and he remarks that as there has been no determined 
effort made to find a market abroad for these fishes, the figures 
given represent the local consumption, the Indians being the main 
consumers in the case of the oolachan. As both of these fish are 
unrivalled delicacies, it can only be a question of a short time before 
some method will be discovered for their preservation, whereby the 
flavour will be retained, and a large and profitable export business 
in them established. The quantity and value of oolachans and 
