Alaska Packers' Association
Encyclopedia
The Alaska Packers' Association (APA) was a San Francisco based manufacturer of Alaska
canned salmon founded in 1891 and sold in 1982. As the largest salmon packer in Alaska, the member canneries of APA were active in local affairs, and had considerable political influence. The Alaska Packers' Association is best known for operating the "Star Fleet," the last fleet of commercial sailing vessels on the West Coast, as late as 1927.
was in its infancy but already produced more canned salmon than the market could bear. The association was initially formed to sell off the surplus pack and it proved so successful that it incorporated in 1892 as the Alaska Packing (correct) Association to better manage canned salmon production to meet demand. Of the original 31 member canneries across Alaska, 9 were idled that year. With minor changes, the association reincorporated as the Alaska Packers Association in 1893.
Henry Frederick Fortmann (1856–1946), owner of the Arctic Packing Company, one of the original member companies, served as APA president from its inception until 1922 and remained on the board until his death. Other presidents included William Timson and A.K. Tichnor.
, Chignik, Karluk
, Cook Inlet
, and the Southeast Alaska panhandle. The company’s various canneries were identified as "Diamonds" followed by an initial. The Diamond NC was their Clark's Point, Alaska
cannery (after its originator the Nushagak Canning Co.), the Diamond E (Egegik
), Diamond J and X (Kvichak River
) Diamond W (Wrangell) and etc. On their boats and frequently in company correspondence the word diamond was not used but a diamond was drawn around the cannery initial. The Diamond NC cannery in Clark's Point, built in 1888 is still in existence but has not been used as a cannery since 1950. The Diamond NN cannery in South Naknek built in 1895 is still in operation today.
Canned salmon was then as the largest industry in Alaska and produced over 80% of the territory’s tax revenues. The APA wielded considerable clout in the territorial capital Juneau and Washington DC, where the fishery was regulated by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the US Department of Commerce. The absentee control of a major industry and the APA's dominant role provoked resentment among many Alaskans who viewed the industry as greedy, selfish and ruthless. Alaska Territorial Rep. Dan Sutherland
reviled the APA as "the great monopolists
of Bristol Bay
."
The APA used its clout to lessen the impacts of salmon regulations
on the industry and reap other benefits. The company operated salmon hatcheries near Karluk
and Loring and took tax credits for the salmon smolt
that were released. In 1907, the APA canned over $3 million worth of salmon and thanks to credits for hatchery releases that totaled over $32,000, owed just 32 cents in taxes, a bill they paid for with stamps.
To its credit, the APA came to the aid of Alaskans when needed. Its cannery hospitals provided medical care for neighboring Native residents and when the worldwide Spanish flu
pandemic ravaged western Alaska in the spring of 1919, the APA helped bury the hundreds of dead, and provided care for the ill and orphaned children, even when the federal government did little to render aid. After a Navy Lieutenant inspected the situation in Bristol Bay and reported the conditions as “satisfactory,” the APA's Kvichak
cannery superintendent J. C. Bell retorted, “We have not been able to fathom whether the conditions are satisfactory for them or the natives who are dead and buried … and as usual the job is up to the Alaska Packers Association.”
after the name of its premier brand. The APA later moved its headquarters to the Seattle area.
The company generally prospered through the 1930s as salmon production grew but many Alaska canneries were idled during World War II
and never reopened. After the war, salmon runs declined for a variety of reasons including past overfishing, lax management and a general downturn in salmon survival due to a change in long-term climate cycles known as the Pacific decadal oscillation
. Many APA canneries were 50 years old and in need of major modernization but CalPack accountants questioned the investment in rebuilding canneries when salmon runs were in decline and consumers’ tastes were turning from salmon to more cheap and abundant tuna
.
Alaska salmon production remained generally poor throughout the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, by which time the company sought out. In 1982, when salmon runs showed signs of resurgence, most of the APA’s assets were sold to ConAgra of Omaha
, Nebraska
for an undisclosed amount. Many of these properties in Bristol Bay have since been acquired by Trident Seafoods
.
for James P. Corry's Star Line
and the Indian jute trade
. J.P. Corry called his vessels the "Star Fleet" and named them after countries. The first of these vessels bought by the APA was the Star of Russia. The company liked the name so much they incorporated this pattern with their other vessels, naming them Star of Alaska, Star of Finland, and etc. By 1930, most of the sailing ships were replaced with steam or diesel powered ships.
Alaska’s notorious weather resulted in a number of accidents involving the sailing ships, most notably the sinking of the Star of Bengal on September 20, 1908. The vessel was towed from Wrangell, Alaska
with the full cannery crew and over 52,000 cases or 2.5 million 1-pound cans of salmon on board. Upon reaching the outer coast, a gale blew up. The towboats cut their lines and the vessel’s anchors dragged. The 262 foot ship broke up on the rocks of Coronation Island
and 111 people died, mostly Chinese and Japanese cannery workers.
In 1927, the APA still owned fourteen square-rigged sailing vessels in its "Star Fleet" of which only two remain. The Star of India
is now ported at the San Diego Maritime Museum. The Star of Alaska, originally named the Balclutha
, was given back its original name and is ported in San Francisco as part of the Maritime National Historical Park.
The Star of Russia now lies in 40 metres of water in Port Vila harbor, Vanuatu
and is a popular dive site. Other ships in this series that are no longer afloat include the Star of Bengal, Star of England, Star of Falkland, Star of Finland, Star of France, Star of Greenland, Star of Holland, Star of Iceland, Star of Italy, Star of Lapland, Star of Poland, Star of Scotland, Star of Shetland, and Star of Zealand.
represents seven companies that own and operate 19 US flag catcher/processor vessels
active in the Alaska pollock
and West Coast Pacific whiting fisheries. The At-Sea Processors Association has no connection to the earlier salmon cannery association.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
canned salmon founded in 1891 and sold in 1982. As the largest salmon packer in Alaska, the member canneries of APA were active in local affairs, and had considerable political influence. The Alaska Packers' Association is best known for operating the "Star Fleet," the last fleet of commercial sailing vessels on the West Coast, as late as 1927.
Founded in 1891
The APA was formed in 1891 when the Alaska salmon industrySalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
was in its infancy but already produced more canned salmon than the market could bear. The association was initially formed to sell off the surplus pack and it proved so successful that it incorporated in 1892 as the Alaska Packing (correct) Association to better manage canned salmon production to meet demand. Of the original 31 member canneries across Alaska, 9 were idled that year. With minor changes, the association reincorporated as the Alaska Packers Association in 1893.
Henry Frederick Fortmann (1856–1946), owner of the Arctic Packing Company, one of the original member companies, served as APA president from its inception until 1922 and remained on the board until his death. Other presidents included William Timson and A.K. Tichnor.
Largest packer in the Alaska salmon industry
As the industry later expanded, the APA emerged as the largest salmon packer in Alaska with canneries that stretched from Bristol BayBristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
, Chignik, Karluk
Karluk
Karluk can refer to many different things:* HMCS Karluk, a ship crushed and sunk by Arctic ice in January 1914* Karluk, Alaska, a town in the USA* Karluk River, a river on Kodiak Island in Alaska...
, Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, and the Southeast Alaska panhandle. The company’s various canneries were identified as "Diamonds" followed by an initial. The Diamond NC was their Clark's Point, Alaska
Clark's Point, Alaska
Clark's Point is a city in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 75 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Clark's Point is located at ....
cannery (after its originator the Nushagak Canning Co.), the Diamond E (Egegik
Egegik, Alaska
Egegik is a city in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 116.-Geography:...
), Diamond J and X (Kvichak River
Kvichak River
The Kvichak River is a river in southwestern Alaska, located at the conjunction of the Alaska Peninsula, to the Alaska mainland at about With headwaters in Lake Iliamna, it drains the lake into Kvichak Bay, an arm of Bristol Bay. The river is about long. The communities of Levelock and Igiugig...
) Diamond W (Wrangell) and etc. On their boats and frequently in company correspondence the word diamond was not used but a diamond was drawn around the cannery initial. The Diamond NC cannery in Clark's Point, built in 1888 is still in existence but has not been used as a cannery since 1950. The Diamond NN cannery in South Naknek built in 1895 is still in operation today.
Canned salmon was then as the largest industry in Alaska and produced over 80% of the territory’s tax revenues. The APA wielded considerable clout in the territorial capital Juneau and Washington DC, where the fishery was regulated by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the US Department of Commerce. The absentee control of a major industry and the APA's dominant role provoked resentment among many Alaskans who viewed the industry as greedy, selfish and ruthless. Alaska Territorial Rep. Dan Sutherland
Daniel Sutherland
Daniel Alexander Sutherland , nicknamed "Fighting Dan", was an American businessperson and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives during the 1920s as the delegate from what was then the Alaska Territory.Sutherland was born in Pleasant Bay, Canada on Cape Breton Island...
reviled the APA as "the great monopolists
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
of Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
."
The APA used its clout to lessen the impacts of salmon regulations
Alaska salmon fishery
The Alaskan salmon fishery was saved due to strict mitigation measures and the implementation of policies. Alaska's successful conservation of their salmon resources is reflected in recent healthy and abundant salmon runs...
on the industry and reap other benefits. The company operated salmon hatcheries near Karluk
Karluk, Alaska
Karluk is a census-designated place in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 27 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Karluk is located at...
and Loring and took tax credits for the salmon smolt
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
that were released. In 1907, the APA canned over $3 million worth of salmon and thanks to credits for hatchery releases that totaled over $32,000, owed just 32 cents in taxes, a bill they paid for with stamps.
To its credit, the APA came to the aid of Alaskans when needed. Its cannery hospitals provided medical care for neighboring Native residents and when the worldwide Spanish flu
Spanish flu
The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
pandemic ravaged western Alaska in the spring of 1919, the APA helped bury the hundreds of dead, and provided care for the ill and orphaned children, even when the federal government did little to render aid. After a Navy Lieutenant inspected the situation in Bristol Bay and reported the conditions as “satisfactory,” the APA's Kvichak
Kvichak Bay
Kvichak Bay is an arm on the northeast side of Bristol Bay in southern Alaska, at . It is long and wide. The Kvichak River flows into the bay at its furthest northeast point, while the Naknek River comes in from the east about to the south of the Kvichak....
cannery superintendent J. C. Bell retorted, “We have not been able to fathom whether the conditions are satisfactory for them or the natives who are dead and buried … and as usual the job is up to the Alaska Packers Association.”
Merger with CalPack and acquisition by ConAgra
The APA merged with California Packing Corporation in 1916 (CalPack), a company involved in canned fruits and vegetables and Hawaiian pineapple and later reorganized as Del Monte FoodsDel Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods is an American food production and distribution company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest producers, distributors and marketers of branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3.6...
after the name of its premier brand. The APA later moved its headquarters to the Seattle area.
The company generally prospered through the 1930s as salmon production grew but many Alaska canneries were idled during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and never reopened. After the war, salmon runs declined for a variety of reasons including past overfishing, lax management and a general downturn in salmon survival due to a change in long-term climate cycles known as the Pacific decadal oscillation
Pacific decadal oscillation
The Pacific Decadal Oscillation is a pattern of Pacific climate variability that shifts phases on at least inter-decadal time scale, usually about 20 to 30 years. The PDO is detected as warm or cool surface waters in the Pacific Ocean, north of 20° N...
. Many APA canneries were 50 years old and in need of major modernization but CalPack accountants questioned the investment in rebuilding canneries when salmon runs were in decline and consumers’ tastes were turning from salmon to more cheap and abundant tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
.
Alaska salmon production remained generally poor throughout the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, by which time the company sought out. In 1982, when salmon runs showed signs of resurgence, most of the APA’s assets were sold to ConAgra of Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
for an undisclosed amount. Many of these properties in Bristol Bay have since been acquired by Trident Seafoods
Trident Seafoods
Trident Seafoods is the largest seafood company in the United States. It manages a network of fishing ships, processing plants, and a vertically integrated distributorship of its products. Founded in 1973, and based in Seattle, Washington, the company acquired Tyson Seafoods in 1999. Trident...
.
The Star Fleet, last of the commercial sailing ships
The APA is perhaps best remembered for operating one of the last fleets of tall ships. Although this invoked the romance of the days of sail, reliance on wind rather than steam was a way for the company to economize. The salmon packing industry was a very seasonal business and old sailing ships were relatively cheap and available. Shortly after the turn of the 20th century, the APA began to replace its wooden ships with iron-hulled vessels and bought a number of ships built by Harland & Wolff Co. in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
for James P. Corry's Star Line
Star Line (shipping company)
The Star Line, Ltd. was a shipping company managed by Messrs. James P. Corry and Co. In 1908, it had a fleet of seven modern cargo steamers engaged in trade with the East and Far East, with a gross tonnage of 34,900 tons....
and the Indian jute trade
Jute trade
The Jute trade is currently centered around the Indian subcontinent. The major producing countries of Jute are: Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, Myanmar. Bangladesh is the largest exporter of raw jute, and India is the largest producer as well as largest consumer of jute products in the world....
. J.P. Corry called his vessels the "Star Fleet" and named them after countries. The first of these vessels bought by the APA was the Star of Russia. The company liked the name so much they incorporated this pattern with their other vessels, naming them Star of Alaska, Star of Finland, and etc. By 1930, most of the sailing ships were replaced with steam or diesel powered ships.
Alaska’s notorious weather resulted in a number of accidents involving the sailing ships, most notably the sinking of the Star of Bengal on September 20, 1908. The vessel was towed from Wrangell, Alaska
Wrangell, Alaska
Wrangell is a city and borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. At the 2000 census the population was 2,308.Its Tlingit name is Ḵaachx̱aana.áakʼw . The Tlingit people residing in the Wrangell area, who were there centuries before Europeans, call themselves the Shtaxʼhéen Ḵwáan after the nearby Stikine...
with the full cannery crew and over 52,000 cases or 2.5 million 1-pound cans of salmon on board. Upon reaching the outer coast, a gale blew up. The towboats cut their lines and the vessel’s anchors dragged. The 262 foot ship broke up on the rocks of Coronation Island
Coronation Island (Alaska)
Coronation Island is located off the northwest coast of Prince of Wales Island, south of Kuiu Island, and north of Noyes Island. The nearest full service community is Craig, Alaska. The island is also home to the Coronation Island Wilderness, which encompasses ....
and 111 people died, mostly Chinese and Japanese cannery workers.
In 1927, the APA still owned fourteen square-rigged sailing vessels in its "Star Fleet" of which only two remain. The Star of India
Star of India (ship)
Star of India was built in 1863 as Euterpe, a full-rigged iron windjammer ship in Ramsey, Isle of Man. After a full career sailing from Great Britain to India and New Zealand, she became a salmon hauler on the Alaska to California route...
is now ported at the San Diego Maritime Museum. The Star of Alaska, originally named the Balclutha
Balclutha (1886)
Balclutha, also known as Star of Alaska, Pacific Queen, or Sailing Ship BALCLUTHA, is a steel-hulled full rigged ship that was built in 1886. She is the only square rigged ship left in the San Francisco Bay area and is representative of several different commercial ventures, including lumber,...
, was given back its original name and is ported in San Francisco as part of the Maritime National Historical Park.
The Star of Russia now lies in 40 metres of water in Port Vila harbor, Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
and is a popular dive site. Other ships in this series that are no longer afloat include the Star of Bengal, Star of England, Star of Falkland, Star of Finland, Star of France, Star of Greenland, Star of Holland, Star of Iceland, Star of Italy, Star of Lapland, Star of Poland, Star of Scotland, Star of Shetland, and Star of Zealand.
Gallery of the Star Fleet
The APA today
The name APA is now used by the Seattle-based At-Sea Processors Association. This trade associationTrade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
represents seven companies that own and operate 19 US flag catcher/processor vessels
Factory ship
A factory ship, also known as a fish processing vessel, is a large ocean-going vessel with extensive on-board facilities for processing and freezing caught fish...
active in the Alaska pollock
Pollock
Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
and West Coast Pacific whiting fisheries. The At-Sea Processors Association has no connection to the earlier salmon cannery association.
Video and images
- Sockeye and the age of sail : the story of the Alaska Packers Association, 42 min. online video
- Photographs of Alaska Packers Association, Western Waters Digital Library
- Alaska Packer's Association Fleet and Shipyards
Star Fleet
- Huycke, Harold. The great Star Fleet. 1960
- Loring, Charles M. Data & notes on the sailing vessel fleet of the Alaska Packers Association, San Francisco, Calif. 1947
- Zeusler, F.A. The Star Fleet. Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society. 1965
Working conditions
- Guimary, Donald L. Marumina trabaho : a history of labor in Alaska's salmon canning industry : Dirty work. iUniverse, 2006
- Cooper, Diane E. Annotated bibliography, Chinese contract system and the Pacific salmon industry. Karl Kortum Endowment for Maritime History. 1997
- McCullough, Nicole Susan. The 1951 Bristol Bay salmon strike : isolation, independence and illusion in the last frontier. 2001
- Max Stern. The price of salmon. Daily news (San Francisco, Calif.), 1922. A reporter ships out on an Alaska Packers ship to document working conditions
General
- Newell, Dianne. The Development of the Pacific salmon-canning industry: a grown man's game. 1990
- Roppel, Patricia. Salmon from Kodiak: an history of the salmon fishery of Kodiak Island, Alaska
- Wikersham, James. Slaughter of "the silver horde": how the salmon are being driven from the waters of Alaska—huge profits for the packers, but not a penny for the people. 1911
External links
- Canned Salmon Recipes by Alaska Packers' Association, 1900 e-book with color illustrations, available from Internet Archive
- Catching a Can in Ketichkan, A History of the Canned Salmon Capital of the World