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4.3.9.wavWhile mining remained a major economic activity in Alaska, fishing increasingly became more important. The introduction of the canning process sparked the development of Alaska's large salmon fisheries as canned salmon became popular. By 1900, 85 percent of the fish annually caught in Alaska waters were salmon, and 42 canneries packed 1.5 million cases of salmon. In 1917 that number had risen to 118 canneries operating in Alaska. That year, they packed more than half of the world's supply of salmon, nearly six million cases valued at $46 million.
During World War I, the Alaska fishing industry prospered as salmon production boomed. In 1919, 135 canneries operated, and the salmon pack reached an all-time high of 6.6 million cases. In the years before World War II, the canned salmon industry generated up to three-quarters of Alaska's economic revenue. The seafood industry also started to expand beyond salmon. Commercial clam fishing in Southcentral Alaska and a commercial crab fishery started.
Western Alaskan waters had more sockeye salmon, the preferred species for canning, than Southeast or Southcentral Alaskan waters. But it cost muchl more to establish and operate a cannery in Western Alaska. The distances from markets and suppliers in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco were greater. Almost all labor had to be imported. Due to the greater costs, larger companies owned most of the canneries in Western Alaska. Smaller companies more frequently operated canneries in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska.
Canning salmon required the work of many people. Owners wanted workers who would toil long hours for low pay. The work was "tiring, dirty, smelly, and wet." It was also seasonal. The time, length, and volume of the salmon runs were uncertain. Initially, owners hired Alaska Natives. As the industry expanded and more workers were needed, cannery owners began to hire recent Chinese immigrants in Seattle or San Francisco. These new workers were transported to the canneries in the spring, and when the salmon season ended, the imported workers were transported back to their home port. Before long, most of the workforce came from outside Alaska each season. By the 1900s, the cannery industry had hired about 10,000 workers annually, many of whom were Chinese, Filipino, or Mexican immigrants.
Filipino cannery workers
1900 photo of the Arctic Packing Company, the first cannery in Bristol Bay
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