The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-08
Globe Special Washington Service
1417 G Street


WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 7.-Hal-
ibut fishing in Alaska has made re-.
marlzable strides during the last few
months, and more will be heard of this
industry during the new year. Statis-
tics of the halibut fisheries have just
come to the department of commerce,
showing the total amount of fish ship
ped from Alaska to the United States
during three months of 1904. 1t was
formerly believed by most people that
the only fisheries in Alaska which
were destined to make any impression
upon commerce were the salmon fish
cries. Halibut fishing is increasing so
rapidly, however, that the prospect of
a tremendous output within the next
year or two is assured.
The rapid development of this infant
industry in Alaska within little more
than a year is shown by the fact that
while the total shipments in Septem-
Der of 1903 were 10000 pounds, valued
at $So4, the shipments in November Of
1904 amounted to 905.000 pounds, val
ued at $36,912. Moreover, the increase
in output has been steady, month by
month.
All the halibut sent out from Alaska
during the last season were in a fresh
condition, and shipments were made
-.
The industry is in its very infancy,
and the fish were not shipped on cold
storage, but in ordinary packing cases
surrounded by ice. Modern cold stor-
age will probably before long become
one of the established features of the
business,
All Went to Seattle
All the Alaska halibut shipments
were sent to Seattle The local mar
ket consumed some of the fish, but the
greater part of the output was shipped
east. In Seattle during the last few
months halibut have sold at as low a
price as ors6 cents per pound, but in
some of the eastern cities the price is
as high as 20 cents and even higher.
1t is the belief of those who are inter-
ested in the Alaska fisheries that the
output will soon become so great as
to reduce the price considerably in the
| retail market. This, it is believed, will
! be an ultimate advantage to the fish
cries, for it will enlarge the market
among a class of people who necessity
compelS to purchase only the cheaper
classes of food.
| There is one great advantage in the
Alaska halibut fisheries. The fishing
| grounds are in the famous inside pas
| sage" in Southeastern Alaska, which
| corresponds to the inland sea of Ja-
| pan, and the waters are rarely II ever
| SO rough as to make it impossible for
fishing to be carried on from small
craft. On the eastern coast the condi-
tions are different. Halibut fishing has
| been carried on extensively on the New
| England coast for generations, and
| fishermen have gone as far north as
Greenland. The business has been ex-
| tremely hazardous, and many lives
| have been lost and many voyages a
failure.
In Southeastern Alaska the halibut
/ fishing is carried on only short dis
/ tance from the shore, and a boatload
| of fish may be landed within a few
/ minutes after they are caught. The
fishing is carried on largely at juneau
| Wrangen Narrows, Ketchikan and
Douglas and in outlying places. In
| summer steamers ply between Seattle
| and Southeastern Alaskan ports on an
/ average of nearly once day, and in
| winter one in four or five days. The
| sailing time from Juneau to Seattle is
about three days.
Three Month Record
Here is a record of the Alaska hall
/ but fisheries for September, October
and November in 1908 and 1904, re-
spectively:
| -l903- -19O4-