REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 147 



There were G-i canneries operated in 1002, 9 of these having been 

 built that year; 2, on the other hand, suspended operations. In 1903 

 60 canneries were engaged in packing sahnon; 3 were built that year, 

 onl\' 2 of which were operated, and 5 suspended operations. The 

 number of men engaged in the salmon fisheries was 11,708 in 1902, 

 and 13,100 in 1903, a decrease of 1,002. 



The output of salted salmon in 1902 was 2.5,936 barrels, valued at 

 $191,218. There were placed in cold storage and dry salted 141,000 

 pounds of salmon, representing a value of §5,190. In 1903 there were 

 salted by the canneries and saiteries 35,748 barrels, value $261,086. 

 The Pacific Cold Storage Company, at Taku Harbor, placed in cold 

 storage 17,690 pounds of king salmon, 34,087 pounds of cohoes, 72,944 

 pounds of dog salmon, and 12,551 pounds of steelheads. This com- 

 pan.y also dry salted for the Japan market 243.441 pounds of dog- 

 salmon, a total of 380,713 pounds, value $11,732. 



As is frequently the case in a poor season, salmon were scarce in 

 certain localities and plentiful in others. At Karluk in 1902 the pack 

 was 204,190 cases; in 1903 only 90,103 cases were packed by the two 

 canneries operated there, which are owned by the Alaska Packers' 

 Association. The Arctic Packing Company, located at Olga Ba}^, 80 

 miles distant, met with a shiiilar experience, the output being 45,145 

 cases in 1902 and 25,470 in 1903. These canneries employed about 

 the same number of men each year, and the same kind and quantity of 

 fishing- gear. At times during the season of 1903 when salmon were 

 quite plentiful at Chignik, Cook Inlet, and Prince William Sound, 

 hardly enough fish could be obtained at Karluk and Olga Ba}" to keep 

 the canneries running. 



Many theories are advanced ])y cannerymen and fishermen in gen- 

 eral as to the cause of the variation in the runs of salmon in different 

 streams. The belief is f reel}' expressed by some that it is due to the 

 work of artificial propagation, and that the fry liberated from the 

 hatchery at Karluk, arriving at the spawning age, found the waters 

 of Cook Inlet and parts of Prince William Sound better suited to their 

 requirements than the home stream. Others attribute the scarcitj^ to 

 weather conditions, and a few venture to state that instead of the large 

 runs appearing in any particular region in cj'cles of four 3"ears, as is 

 the commonly accepted theory, they require a much longer time, and 

 from one phenomenal run to another periods of eight or nine 3'ears 

 may elapse. The erratic runs in recent years, combined with the 

 parent-stream theorj^, which in a measure has been upset by the failure 

 of the salmon from hatcheries to return to the streams where planted 

 when expected, has set in motion a new line of thought regarding 

 their movements. Each season brings unlooked-for conditions, and 

 to-day there is more attention given to the study of the habits of sal- 

 mon b}' cannerymen than ever before. 



