MATHISEN: NUSHAGAK SOCKEVE SALMON FISHERY 



Table 2. — Catches and escapements of sockeye salmon in Nushagak District, 1946-1966. 



Sources: 



1946-1959 - Mathlsen, Burgner, and Koo (1963)- 

 1960-1966 — Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Div 



jion of Commercial Fisheries, Bristol Bay Area, Annuol Management Report 1966, 59 



were made until 1961, when 5%-inch nets were 

 permitted. 



The length of drift nets was reduced to 150 fm 

 per boat in 1929 and has remained unchangfed. 

 However, the industry did not necessarily always 

 feel compelled to observe these maximum and 

 minimum limits. The g-iU net fishery developed 

 before such regulations were introduced and en- 

 forced. The necessity of observing a corres- 

 pondence between the pull of the boat and the 

 drag of the gill net had more or less standardized 

 the gear. Length of the drift net and mesh size 

 as actually used can be studied from two other 

 sources (Table 3). 



For the period 1902-1925, the mesh sizes and 

 lengths of the drift nets used were given in the 

 yearly reports of two canneries belonging to 

 Alaska Packers Association in Nushagak. 



Since 1926 reports have been submitted by the 

 operators to the Federal government concerning 

 their canning activities. These sworn state- 

 ments give the lengths of nets used by the dif- 

 ferent companies. Since the advent of state- 

 hood, gear regulations have been published 

 annually. 



There has been a gradual but steady decline 

 of the mesh size to 5% inches, stretched mesh. 

 In contrast, the length of the drift nets has been 

 remarkably constant. Even when an upper limit 

 of 200 fm was introduced in 1924, many oper- 

 tors used nets half this size or 100 fm. Since 

 1928, all drift nets have measured 150 fm long, 



Table 3. — Mesh sizes and lengths of drift gill nets used 

 in the Nushagak sockeye salmon fishery, 1902-1966.^ 



a Information prior to 1925 taken from records of the Alaska Packers 

 Association and for subsequent years from onnounced regulations of the 

 Federal Authorities. 



b A maximum legal length of 200 fm ond minimum mesh size of 5% 

 inches specified for 1924 and 1925. 



c A minimum mesh size of 5V2 inches set for new nets. 



d A maximum length 150 fm set in 1929. 



e A maximum length of 100 fm set for 1937 only. 



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