King Crab Studies In Alaska Financed By The U.S.
Jap Imports Spark Research;
Methods Of Operation Determined
Research is the basis of the
success of any industry. This is
no less true of the king crab in
dustry.
Late in June 1940, the Congress
approved a special appropriation
authorizing the Fish and Wildlife
Service to conduct for one year a
technical, economic, and biolog
ical investigation of the king crab
fishery off the coast of Alaska.
This investigation was brought
about by the concern of the then
President of the United States due
to the large import of canned
crab meat. Japan had been the
principal source of canned crab
meat imported into the United
States, and accounting for 78 per
cent of the total for the previous
ten year period.. The largest im
portation of canned crab meat on
record occurred during 1939 when
18.507.000 pounds, including
10.720.000 pounds of the Japanese
product, were entered for con
sumption.
The known range of king crabs
in American waters extends from
Bering Strait to Southeastern
Alaska. The first, or fall expedi
tion conducted by the FWS was
with the “Tondeleyo”, a small
floating cannery, deisel driven and
113.1 feet in length; and the
Dorothy, a 93 foot fishing schoon
er. A technologist, a biologist and
an economist were aboard the
“Tondeleyo.” The activities of
this first expedition were confin
ed to the waters between False
Pass and Kodiak Island. A shore
party was established at Alitak.
In these studies, a wide field was
explored. Aim was to locate pop
ulations of king crab, abundance,
depth of water and bottom char
acteristics; migratory habits of
king crab.
Considerable attention was naid
to various fishing methods. These
included use of trawls, tangle nets,
and pots—which were the most
efficient, as well as fishinc ves
sels used.
Canning studies were concerned
with the development of a satis
factory technique for canning.
The technologist’s attention was
given to conditions influencing the
survival of crabs after being re
moved from the water, methods
of handling preparatory to cann
ing, to the yield of edible meat, to
the chemical treatment of crab
meat for preventing discoloration.
Great strides have been made in
the above fields since then, and
the Kodiak product, whether in
the cans, or frozen, has no peer.
The Private Life
Of Crab Invaded
By ADF Biologist
Hiram Reed Stevens, Jr., biolo
gist stationed here by the Alaska
Department of Fisheries, made
quite an extensive study of the
king crab and -its habits and char
acteristics. He concluded from his
studies in 1955 that the crab
stocks in Kodiak waters are made
up of various populations. Anoth
er conclusion, born out by catch
data in later years, indicates that
weight differences in the various
fishing areas do exist. He found
there was an increase in average
weights of the males as the crab
catch proceeds from Alitak Bay
in the South to Tonki Cape and
Perenosa Bay in the north. This
finding is borne out this year, with
the largest crab and the heaviest
crab coming from Tonki Basy.
Stevens further stated there
was no known way that the age
of the individual adult crab could
be determined by visual examina
tion.
Salt Water Important
Environmental factors that af
fect the life of the crab and its
behavior came under Steveas’
study. Some of the conclusions he
drew were that an optimum sa
linity was important, both to the
crab and larval distribution; tem
perature of the water was an im
portant factor which affected the
reproductive cycles of marine life
and brought about crab migra
tions; crab were influenced by the
topography of the ocean’s bottom;
abundance of marine life was
needed and affected the crab’s
size, growth and migrations; cur
rents and wave action disturb and
distribute the larvae of crabs and
other marine animals.
Tagging Helps
The crab study program is at
present concerned with several ac
tivities. Data has been, and is be
ing, processed into graphs and
tables from the information ob
tained from tag recoveries, size
measurements, length frenquency
Washable
Dress up
for the
KING GRAB FESTIVAL
with
An Authentic
ALASKAN
SOURDOUGH SHIRT
o
“I'
a
•T
«<
Long Sleeve
Short Sleeve
S 3.50 f
©
$ 4.50
KRAFT’S MEN’S DEPARTMENT
OPEN EVERY FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL $ P. M.
measurements, cannery records
and fish tickets A tagging pro
gram is being carried on by the
Department. By this means it is
hoped that answers will be ob
tained to questions related to the
direction, time, and magnitude of
migrations, size of population, sep
aration of races, rate of growth,
frequency of molt and age of the
crab.
Difficulties were first encount
ered in tagging crab without los
ing the tags. Ed Huizer is credited
with developing a system that
works. A plastic tag is inserted
through the carapace and tied,
and remains with the crab until
caught.
New Biologist Here
Guy C. Powell arived in Kodiak
recently to work on king crab in
vestigatioms. He is associate biolo
gist of the Alaska Department' of
Fish and Game, and was appoint
ed *by C. L. Anderson, Director of
the Department* t.
Powell will* continue king crab
research in this area. This was
pioneered by the Department wi
der fisheries biologist Ed Huizer
in the Kodiak-Afognak area in
1954.
Powell was born in Ridgewood,
New Jersey. He received his B. S.
degree in wildlife conservation
from Rutgers University and his
Continued to page 4
THOMPSON TRANSFER
v - / s*
GLEAN HEAT! Both Standard
Furnace Oil and StandapjiStove Oil
frtyt :4i . •/
are super-refined io burn, clean.
Call us today for prompt'service
For your convenienco.JAfo.haye i
' T?- •' -JU V -i , •• • •
Automatic Keep-FilleMsMit* t
Home & Office . |dw\ Standord Plant
UlOTMOOKS/ -fr**** •• •
Phone 3131 W WOhe 4303
FOR MOTHERS DAY
May 11
Come in and see our wonderful selection
We will be open for your convenience
during the KODIAK KING CRABTESTI
VAL
Congratulations to our first QUEEN
KRAFT’S DRY GOODS DEPARTMENT
OPEN EVERY FRIDAY EVENING UNTIL 8 P. M.