BRISTOL BAY AND ALASKA PENINSULA SALMON STATISTICS 



73 



in the Nusliagak catch of chuins by the very much reduced catches since 1922. It 

 seems doubtfid that any serious depletion is indicated by these data. 



One very striking phenomenon for which we have no adequate explanation is 

 apparent from the graphs. This is the distinct correlation between the catches of 

 pink salmon and those of cohos and chums. This is especially well marked on the 

 Nushagak side, where all these species show a distinct two-year cycle, the catches 

 being higher in general in the even years than in the odd. This is what we expect of 

 the pinks, of course, but there seems to be no reason why the cohos and chums should 

 follow the same fluctuations. It seems probable that there is some association 

 between the intensity of fishing for pinks and that for the other two species, but we 

 have not been able to assure ourselves that this is the case. We are unable to sug- 

 gest any reasonable biological explanation, and it seems more probable that the 

 phenomenon is due to the operation of some economic factor at present unknown. 



ALASKA PENINSULA 



PORT HEIDEN 



The salmon fishery at Port Heiden is of minor importance but is quite isolated 

 from other districts, either north or south. A small commercial saltery has been 

 maintained here at various times, and reports of operations are at hand for four 

 years. Some fishing undoubtedly has been carried on here in other years hut appar- 

 ently mainly for local use, as no records have been submitted to the bureau. Cobb 

 states " that a saltery was operated here in 1918, but of this we have no record. The 

 available data are given in Table 5 but are obviously too few to permit of any 

 analysis. 



Table 5. — Salmon caught and fishing appliances used at Port Heiden, 191a to 1917 



Note.— No catches reported in 1915 and 1916. 



PORT MOLLER 



The data for Port Moller are presented in Table 6, and graphically in Figure 11. 

 It is well known that the red-salmon run in this district is seriously depleted, and this 

 is distinctly shown by the trend (five-year moving average), which has been con- 

 stantly downward since 1916. It is true there have been material reductions in the 

 amount of gear used and the weekly closed season was extended (in 1924) from 36 

 to 84 hours; but this can not entirely account for the reduction in catch, although 

 the low level maintained since 1921 probably is due in part to the regulations. The 

 fishery at Port Moller was discussed in 1920 by Gilbert and O'Malley (loc. cit.), 

 who concluded that the run already was showing depletion at that time. The fish 



" Pacific Salmon Fisheries. Third edition. By John N. Cobb. Appendix I, Report, U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 

 1921 (1922). Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 902, 268 pp., 48 flgs. Washington, 1921. 



