The Fishing Industry In Russia
Juneau Emipre
A
Russia, under the Soviet Five
\ear Plan, is making giant strid
es in building up its fishing in
dustry, says a Department of
Commerce publication. Before
the World War, although 500,000
persons were employed in this
industry, it was technically very
backward. Production was, there
fore, very low, considering the
abundant supplies of fish avail
able. The total catch in 1913 a
mounted to only 924,820 short
tons.
The Soviet Five Year Plan
provided for technical improve -
ment of methods of catching
and handling fish, showing im -
provements for the first three
years. In 1931 the total eaten
was 1,413,477 short tons, and last
year it had mounted to 1,575,050
short tons.
The fishing industry is in the
hands of the State which oper
ates in three ways, through fish
eries managed directly by the
State, through those managed
by fish cooperatives, and through
collectives which include in
creasing numbers of individual
fishermen. The share of the
latter groups in the total pro
duction of fish is large and
growing. It was 60 per cent ir
1930 and 88 per cent in 1931.
Collectivism o f fishing has
brought many changes and im
provements, such as the use of
powerboats, motorized fishing
stations, and better boats, gear
and equipment. The engine pow
er available for fishing rose from
20,000 horsepower on January 2,
1929, to 150,000 horsepower on
the same date this year. The
number of boats increased from
67,100 in 1930 to 73.800 in 1931.
Improvements in transporta
tion and preparation are making
is possible to increase constantly
the proportion of fresh fish ship
ped to market.
Fish canning is also making
great strides, and facilities are
constantly being enlarged. Pro
duction of canned fish, in cans
of 400 grams net, amounted to
06,262,000 in 1930 and 74,297,600
in 1931. Canning methods are
being improved, with increasing
recovery and utilization of by
products, such as oils, fish-meals,
etc.
For the improvement of the
technique of fish and prepara
tion of fish as a food and for
other purposes the Soviet Gov
ernment has set up a number of
scientific institutes and experi
ment stations, located at the
chief points of catch and pro
duction, and supervised by a
central scientific organization,
the TSIRKH (Central Scientific
Institute for the Fish Industry)
The tasks of this Institution in
clude investigation of different
districts, study of kinds of fish
in each, migration and othe^
habits, etc.
x
INVESTIGATE BUYING
OF U. S. SALMON
■-x
Canadian salmon fishermen
were responsible for an investi
gation of charges that British
Columbia canners are buying U.
S. salmon in Puget Sound and
selling it under British Columbia
labels to secure the benefit of
British preferene duties.
Tom Reid, member of parlia
ment, promised the objecting
fishermen that the Dominion
Government would immediately
investigate the situation.
British Columbia fishermen
are not permitted to export
fresh fish as a result of a ruling
obtained b cannerymen.
Miners Make Good
Clean-up 21 Days
-X
Oscar Plowman, operating In
the Mills Creek-Moose Pass dis
trict which was worked many
years ago, producing much gold,
has prospected new ground, and
with three men helping recov
eied $2,800 in three weeks, ne
seid recently.
This was the first sizeable
poke brought in to Seward, since
people began going to the hills
as a result of recent ruch strikes.
Reports from other districts
indicated placer men are meet
ing good success, working rock
ers, sluice boxes and hydraulics.
-x
PROSPECTORS TELL OF FIND
-x
Parties were being organized
io go north to the Good News
bay district, where a huge plat
inum strike is reported made.
Good News bay is near Seward.
News of the strike was brought
to Juneau by H. S. Graves and
Feter Brevick, prospectors who
have been in the district for the
past three months. Graves said
that he believes the strike is to
be one of the richest in the
vorld, altho only spread over a
small area.
If the strike turns out to be
bona fide, it will be the first
platinum strike of consequence
cn the continent, it is reported
by geologists. They talked with
the prospectors regarding the
rock and soil found at the strike
and said it corresponds exactly
to that found at large platinum
srrikes in other countries.
-x
That particle of matter weigh
ing 200 sextillionths of an ounce
is probably what is left of pros
perity.