Of all the methods of catching fish, fish traps were the most efficient and cost-effective and over 40 trap sites were established in Prince William Sound during the heyday. Traps were operated six days per week, 24 hours a day during the annual fishing season. Throughout the late ’40s and early ’50s though there began a steady decrease in the number of fish taken statewide.
In the Cordova region, canneries packed 527,000 cases in 1947 that went to a low of 100,000 cases in 1955. In ’54 and ’55 there were essentially no pink and chum fisheries in the Sound after two no shows in 1952 and 1953. Fish traps were seen as directly responsible for this dilemma and the plea for their abolition finally was heeded in 1959 at statehood.
This photo came from the archives and collections of the Cordova Historical Society. Have some photos you think might be a nice addition to the collection? Stop by and visit with us.
