Along The Waterfront
Boom In Alaska Fisheries Revealed;
Kodiak In Center Of Huge Development
(continued from page 1)
Right at the moment there arc
huge vessels busy mapping out
the ocean bottom in contempla
tion of operating fleets of ocean
going fishing fleets year ’round.
Several large fishing fleets are
already in operation taking vari
ous species of fish . . . but these
fleets are only a harbinger of
what is about to take place in
the next couple of years.
While present fishing operations
are considered extensive, they are
to date, somewhat limited in the
species of fish they are harvesting.
The plans as revealed now indicate
that the expansion of the fleets is
already underway and that vir
tually every specie of sea food in
these waters is to be exploited!
The list includes not only her
ring, halibut, salmon, crab and
black cod, but also ocean perch,
whiting, saury, Atka mackerel,
flounder, and all species of
whales. The researching job is
virtually completed on these
species, some are being wished
now and the immediate plans
call for exploitation of the
others.
Besides these fisheries, research
has been intensive enough that it
has been revealed that during the
last two years the catch included
other products from the sea such
as kelp, sea cucumbers, mussels
and scallops!
Without a doubt the new fish
ery development w ill be the most
intensive and extensive expan
sion in the history of Alaskan
waters, particularly Kodiak wa
ters! And this immense expan
sion of fishery effort has been
virtually unnoticed as it took
place!
WHAT’S AHEAD
To give you some idea of what
has been going on and is about to
take place, here are some excerpts
from their publications:
“Important in the expansion of
high seas fishing is the develop
ment of fisheries of the hereto
fore unused species and in new
areas. In the past year a series
of exploratory fishing in the
Atlantic and Pacific was aimed
at the study of biology, behavior,
ami the location of fish concen
tration of commercial impor
tance. From this point of view,
especially significant is the Ber
ing Sea expedition of the Pacific
Institute of Fisheries and
Oceanography and the Institute
of Fisheries and Oceanography.
The work there started in 1958
and is continuing to the present.
As a result of these investiga
tions, large schools of flatfish
were discovered in the south
eastern part of the Bering Sea
and schools of ocean perch were
located on the edge of the con
tinental shelf that are now the
object of a successful fishery.
STUDIES REPORTED
“In order to study the biology,
distribution, and migration of
ocean perch, and to find new trawl
ing fisheries in Alaska, it is neces
sary to conduct future investiga
tions during all seasons of the year.
“Only along the western shore
of the Gulf were comparatively
wide banks located. These are
Davidson, Sanak, Portlock, and
Albatross.
“During the current year (1961),
the expedition to the Bering Sea
is scheduled to catch 173,100 tons
of flounder, 68,700 tons of herring,
and 48.500 tons of ocean perch. The
expedition plans to catch saury
and produce a total of 171,000 tons
of frozen and 55,000 tons of light
and medium salted fish products.
“It is suggested that further
expansion of whaling be made
from the Aleutian chain to the
Bering Strait. A second mother
ship is needed, capable of han
dling whales twice as large as
those which can be processed on
the factoryship, ‘Aleut.’ ”
SHRIMP FISHING
“Attention will be given develop
ment of a shrimp fishery in the
Bering Sea.
“The general line of develop
ment of a fishery industry (in this
area) will emphasize the catch of
fish on the high seas.
“Only in the Central Aleutian
feeding area has the effect of a
large commercial operation not
yet been felt. There the produc
tivity of pink salmon has stood
close to previous levels.
“These ecological lines highly
favor the sea fishery, which main
tains its effectiveness even on de
pleted populations of pinks dis
persed far from the rivers.”
The new fisheries operators
take note of the “abundance of
shrimp in the western part of the
Gulf of Alaska,” and while stress
ing the heavy concentrations of
shrimp “once near Kodiak . . .
near Marmot Island,” they also
mention Shelikof Straits, Kodiak
to Kenai, Sanak to the Shu
magins, Balboa Bay, Unga Strait,
Stepovac Bay, Chichakof Bay
and Sea I.ion Hock, west of Shu
magin Island. “The concentra
tions there should be exploited.”
“In conclusion it is pointed out
EDIE and LEGS
at the
BEACHCOMBERS
Invite One and All
(Over 21)
Garlic Bread; Tot Spaghetti Dil1lierS Garlic Bread; Too
Served Every Friday Beginning Tonight, Sept. 21 From 9 p.m. to 12:01 a.m.
10 p.m. ’till 5 a.m.
Kenai Tony
Lead Guitar
Naknek Ernie
Rhythm Bass
We’re Open at 9 p.m.
Entertainment Nightly
— Featuring —
THE ALASKAN HILLBILLIES
Playing Your Requests
For Your Dancing and
Listening Pleasure
10 p.m. ’till 5 a.m.
Eddie
The Drummer
Wally
Guitar Instrumentalist
Legs - Your Cook
Steaks — Chicken — Prawns
that the stocks of shrimps west of
Shumagin are sufficiently large to
support a fishery.”
HUGE VESSELS
The biologists’ report noted
the fact that the recently acti
vated fishing operation was in
creased last year by “the addi
tion of large trawlers (BMRT),
medium sized trawlers of the
type “Ocean,” refrigerator ships,
floating factory ships, and of a
whale ship. Also added to the
new fleet was the faetoryship
“Arman” ... a vessel of “about
17,000 metric tons displace
ment.”
So it is apparent that our fish
eries are about to experience the
greatest boom in their history. It
is perhaps the most fascinating and
exciting industry developments in
Alaskan history. And here we jn
Kodiak are situated smack dab in
the middle of the whole big boom!
All that I have written here is
true . . . it’s either going on right
now or will very shortly . . . within
months. The sad part of it is that
Kodiak will continue to bo unaf
fected in any except an adverse
way by this tremendous fishery
development . . . because these are
the plans and operations as trans
lated from the Soviet Russian fish
ing journals by the two biologists.
Just
Arrived
A Wide Variety
of Blooming Potted Plants
Cut Flowers Corsages
FLOWERS
By ELAINE
Local Wire
Delivery Anywhere
Phone 486-5225 c/o City Market