The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1928-04-26
Fishing OF KanchatAas Coasts
Sberias Wealth in Fisheries Fur and Mineral Deposits
StaggerS the Imagination
BY. J.. HAPANoYIcH

! ing. The latter circumstance must
be mentioned especially. One would
not imagine such an industry as be
ing important. Dogs are a necessity
in this country IN furnishing the
best means of loeomotion. They con-
sumo immense quantities of fish.
perhaps five to seven million annual
~. The fish for dogs is seasoned by
storage under the ground IN deep
holes, where it putrifies and is then
fed 10 the dogs.
Fish consumed by the inhabitants
is dried in the sun. The most essen
tial part of its contents is lost. The
dried fish, the so-called "Yukola." is
very useful in travel across KAN
chatka, but from an industrial point
of view, the value of the native fish
ing is not worth considering.
The industrial fishing in KAN
ehatka is practically all done by the
Japanese. They work on the sea and
not in the rivers, as the native popu-
lation and Russian fishermen do.
Japanese fisheries are numerous
on kamehatka; about 300 to $50 on
all the coasts. Where fishing is more
profitable one sees a fishery each
mile and half. such fishery does
not consist of a substantial building
as We see in Alaska, consisting of a
eannery. barracks. etc. Here we find
cheap huts. some of mating. Not
withstanding this. the fishery is not
cheap enterprise. Il must possess
boats. tenders. ships and, among the
latter, not only schooners. but big
steamships. In the summer season,
a very large japanese fishing fleet
stays in Kamchatka waters, consist
ing of about 500 vessels. During the
past ten years a few Russian ships
have visited this coast. The same ap-
plies in regard to the japanese
workers engaged in the fisheries
There are between twenty and fifty
thousand Japanese, while only a few
hundred Russians are employed by
the fisheries during the season. One
would not exaggerate if he said that
at this season, Kamehatka becomes
like Japanese territory.
The quality of the Japanese fish
production is not very high from the
European point of view. It is mostly
the so-ealled dry sailing. The fish
are laid out on the ground, sailed,
and then packed into mats. Such a
process destroys a considerable part
of nutritious substance, all fat being
lost. OF course, it is better than the
Yukola of the Kamchadals, but the
japanese products do not suit, how
ever. the foreign market, except the
canned fish.
The japanese do not preserve the
dry sailed fish. They are endeavor-
ing to develop a more perfect system
in sailing by use of boxes. SO that
the most precious substance of fish is
conserved more than in the former
process. This is the so-called "Aza-
MAXI" or like the Russian sailing.
Another industry is production
of caviar. which the Japanese fisher
les neglected until recently. Now
they have appreciated this tasteful
and nutritious product and prepare
it in considerable quantity.
But the chief foundation of the
Japanese industry, which has to wait
a greater development, is canning.
There are not SO many canneries on
Kamchatka, only about thirty, and
they should not be compared with
Alaska canneries. Their equipment
is frequently very poor, Most of the
work is done by hand. Many Japa-
nese canneries prepare their prod
uet, not for human consumption, but
for fertilizing soils.
In spite of all these defects, the
canning industry is the most import
ant part of the total production of
the Kamchatka fisheries. The total
annual output reaches a value of
S17500.000 including Russian fish
ing.
The latest news about the KAN
chatka fishing is the introduction of
the frozen fish preserved by refriger-
alton, for which suitable steamships
have been constructed.
Recently a new fishing agreement
has been concluded between Tokyo
and Moscow concerning the Far
Eastern fishing. The Japanese have