SALMON FISHING

Shannon News, 7 April 1926, Page 3

SALMON FISHING

A GREAT INDUSTRY. \ BEHRING SEA OPERATIONS. FISHERY CAPTAIN’S EXPERIENCE. Particular interest attaches to the visit to Auckland of Capfcain Detlif Didrick, master of the American barque Guy C. Goss, for Captain Dlddrick was for fourteen years in tne salmon fishing trade in thg Behring Sea—four years of which he spent in his present command before she gave way to steam and went into the lumber trade —and just now- the question of cultivating quinnat salmon for the establishment of an industry in New Zealand is looming largely on (the plan of our projected enterprises. , The Guy C. Goss (states the Auckland Star) is a very fine type of saner, despite that she was built 46 years ago .and her cabin accommodation ts extremely spacious and comfortable for a windjammer. Built of oak, wisth pitch pine planking, she is apparently as sound to-day as on the day sne was launched. Despite having experienced a heavy gale for a weeK and a good deal of adverse wind, she this port in 73 days. After discharging 400,000 feet of lumber- here she will sail for Wellington wjjth the remaining 600,00!) feet. After that she w-ill be looking for a freight home, and may pick up a cargo of copra at Suva. On the other hand she may have to sail ail the way back to America in ballast. Meanwhile, it is understood (that she is lor sale, and she is said, to be just the right size of, sailer for the coal trade.

In The Behring Sea. Fishing in the Behring Sea is a complete operation —from the catching of the salmon to their canning, labelling and packing . Each ship jtakes with her not only the fishermen, but the whole l equipment and staffing for the working of the canning factory., The Gug C. Goss has.taken as many as 240 men north to the Behring Sea. 'The fishing season is restricted to (thirty, days only. The fishermen are mostly Norwegians, Swedes Danes, and’Finns, whilst the cannery worners are Alaskan Indians and Japanese and Chinese . The latter says Captain Diddrick, are the most satisfactory workers; they work away happily and well, and one might be assured they- will fulfill a contract, but (tne Japanese and Filipinos were fond of "rowing” and /going on strike whenever the chance offered.

Fishing is not done from the deck of the ship', but from open boats, 28ft long by 9ft beam. The fish are secured with gill nets, and each ooat bolds 1600 to 1800 salmon. It takes on an average nine salmon to make a case of 48 lib tins. Canning is carried out under the supervision or a health inspector under the mosi sanitary condi.ions and although the cold ensures that 'they will keep well no salmon Is allowed to be canned that has been over 48 hours out. ot the Avater) The whole operation or cleaning-, de-ftnning and be-heading canning is done automatically, the human hand not being allowed to corng in contact with the fish ancr men must Avear rubbpr gloves thai have to be changed twice a day m feeding salmon into the machines. Very Valuable Cargo. In the spring of 1918, Captain Did drick, in the Guy C. Goss, brought to Seatjtle, as Hie lcsult of his fishing and canning operations at Chignie, « cargo of 56,576 cases of salmon valued at not less than-three-quarters of a million dollars '. There arc, lie explained four of salmon fished for. First in value is the King salmon, Avhich rare, and highly regarded as a delicacy. Very little of it is canned, there not being enough of it, the fish being mild cured and smoked for th.s American mantel. The lting v salmon attains a Aveight of 701 b., and is a .fine fat fish. Next is the red, or sock-lye salmon ,AA-hich Is the modt sought after and dearest or the canning varieties, but Capt. Diddrick has a good Avord for the "dog' salmon, a Avhite-fleshed fish, AA’hich ne claims is just as good as the red, a 9 it contains as much fat and is just as nourishing. Lastly there is ‘the hump-back salmon -a pink variety and a “splendid little felloAV.” " The red averages 91b. Aveight, and the ‘•dog” 10ib., and the < “hump’.’ 6-lb. to 7ib. Twenty Years’ Fishing. The main canning Avorks for the Behring Sou a"o at Bristol Bay, on the otlwr -side of |the soulh-Avost peninsula, though there , are many other locations. Captain Diddrick has been ttventy years in the'"salmon fishing- trade, and commanded the Guy C. Goss until slio was replaced by a steamer. One steamer, lie explained can look after three stations while a sailer is attending- to one, and so the days of sailer seem OA'or. The company which owned tne Guy c. Goss had eighteen stations.

"It is by- no means a bad lire," said Captain Diddrick. “You have a few months away, but you spend all the winter ashore, and your salary, which is your annual one, goes on all it lie while. At the same time, I would like to settle down and take a shore nob. One gets .sick of wandering round the seas, after he ceases to be young, especially when one is married. Captain Diddrick is on twelve months’ leave of- absence from 1 , the North-West Fisheries for jth e purpose of his present trip, but he will join the fishing; service and go north again to the Behring Sea after his return to the United Sjtates.