Yes, the salmon is put into the cans raw.  It's really an interesting
process.  Of course it depends on the breed of salmon, because each is
processed differently.  Pinks are gutted and headed by machine, then the
"slimers" (that was me) cut off all the fins, the tails, and cut down one
side of the backbone so that the carcass lays out flat.  It is placed onto
a conveyor which carries it to a machine that cuts it into "steaks" just
the depth of the cans.  Each 2# can held two steaks.  Then the packers
sprinkled a tiny pinch of rock salt on top, laid the can lid on top, and
put it on another conveyor, which took the cans to a sealer.  From there,
they were stacked on pallets and put into the autoclaves for cooking. Other
canneries packed in the smaller cans.  We were set up only for the
commercial (institutional) two pound can.

Silvers and bright Chum were processed in the round, because they were
frozen and sold whole.  Kings were occasionally brought in, and they were
handled extremely carefully, in order to preserve their value.  The heads
and fins were left on Kings to make them more attractive.  We also got in
an occasional black cod (they look gross, but they are very tasty).  The
interesting ones were the halibut.  They are one big muscle, with their
guts in a "pouch" behind the head.  That was cleaned out, and the whole
halibut (usually over 100 pounds, and up to 300#) were put on dollies and
taken to the shock freezer (-10 degrees).  As soon as they were frozen
solid,  they were brought out and "glazed," by dipping them in water.  The
water would freeze instantly on the frozen fish.  This process was repeated
three or four times to put a good layer of ice on the fish to protect it
from drying out while it was in storage.

Hope this helps.  It was a lot of fun, but I'm sure glad I don't have to do
it any more!!

Liz