The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-08-21
YEAR'SSALMONPACK
ESTIMATED SHORTAGE OF 1000, 900
CASES In CATCH OF 1902
Alaska Pack About the Same as Last
Year-Deficiency Mostly in Puget Sound
Pack : Reasons Assigned for Light
Catch-Probabls Prices.

IA serious deficit in the fish pack of
North Pacific waters, which largely
constitutes the salmon supply of the
world, is thus early apparent, says the
Post-Intelligencer. "The supply it is
now evident, will be 1,49S,9l2 cases
short for Puget Sound and British
Columbia waters alone, with a total
deficit of about 100000 cases. These
figures are based ON the reports Of fish
experts. Puget Sound, the Columbia
river. British Columbia and Alaska
waters constitute the fish waters of the
North Pacific, which give the world its
salmon and other canned fish supplies.
"The combined salmon pack of
Puget Sound and British Columbia
waters in 1901 was 2,3l9.9 .9l2 cases. The
canned pack of 1902, estimated, is:
British Columbia 521 900 cases, and for
Puget Sound 10000. The total pack of
salmon for all watersfor 1901 was s. .0OO,
600 cases, the largest catch in the history
of the salmon canning industry. Three
million cases, previous to that time,
represented the annual product. These
were the figures for 1898, 1899 and 1900.
"This year, according to expert au
thority, the pack of fall fish will be
light. 1t is stated that there will be
no fall fishing on the Columbia river
or any stream Of Oregon because. of
the prevalent low prices. Some fall
fishing, especially for silver salmon and
chums, will be had on Puget sound.
nThe pack of Alaska fish will be
abou. what it was last year. Carefully
compiled reports warrant this state
ment. Taking this condition into ac-
count, the total shortage i'll the salmon
pack may be estimated at 100000
cases.
"Inasmuch as the 100000 cases
packed last year have gone into con-
sumption, with little or no heavy carry
over stock and an astonishing increase
in consumption, it is certainly safe to
assert that the demand for salmon will
greatly exceed the supply. Contribut-
ing towards this in a material way is
the condition of the fresh meat market.
The prices of all canned meats have
advanced materially. This naturally
creates an increased demand for fish.
New York and other dealers of the
East are already casting about for
salmon quotations. Last year the sock
eye salmon sold on the Puget Sound
markets at all average of 81 per dozen
l1e-pound tall cans. Some forced sales
were made as low as 80 cents per dozen.
At present the market conditions are
similar to what they were in 1900, in
which years 22S,7O4 cases of salmon
were packed OH Puget Sound. While
the pack for Puget Sound this year is
estimated at 5000 cases, with the
increased consumption as evidenced by
last year, packers are inclined to think
that sockeye salmon will be worth as
much as they were in In 1900, when
the price of one-pound tails reached
81 so per dozen.
1.-THE shortage in the catch of salmon
this year, according to the general idea
among fishermen, is due in large
measure to light winds prevailing
throughout the season. When the
weather is mild the salmon remain out
in deep water, while high winds and
generally rough weather drive them
towards the shore and into the traps
and seines. In other word, it is an Ill
wind that blows nobody good. High
winds drive the fish in the traps, fur
nishing cheap food for the poor. while
| in mild weather they remain far out
IN the deep beyond the snares Of man."