bia stocks are farthest to the east — mainly east of 

 long. 135° E. (Fisheries Kesearch Board of Can- 

 ada, 1962-66). 



During May and June, pink salmon shift pro- 

 gressively northward in the eastern half of the 

 Gulf and by July ai-e abundant in the northern- 

 most areas (fig. 5). The early-run stocks then 

 migrate toward their respective coastal destina- 

 tions. Later-run fish frequently return to the south- 

 east in August and September after having mi- 

 grated northward past their area of origin (Neave, 

 1964). For these fish the late-season homing mi- 

 gration follows in reverse the coastwise route 

 taken by the juveniles in the Alaskan Gyre and is 

 "upstream" instead of "downstream." Returns of 

 tagged fish to southeastern Alaska and British 

 Columbia in 1962 (fig. 6) illustrate the spring- 

 summer distribution and migrations of these 

 stocks. 



Figure 5. — Average catch of pink salmon per 20 skates 

 of longline gear (49 hooks per skate) by area and by 

 time period in 1966 (U.S. and Canadian data unpub- 

 lished). 



The rate of movement of the center of abun- 

 dance from mid-April to mid-June appears to be 

 about 7 miles (13 km.) per day (if movement is 

 e,stimated from lat. 48° to 55° N. during the 60- 

 day period). Rates of travel of individual tagged 

 fish based on straight-line distances to recovery 

 points vary from 5 to over 40 miles (9.3-74.1 km.) 

 per day. Mean fork lengths at this stage vary from 

 45 to 55 cm., or even larger for late-season 

 spawners. 



The final migrations through channels and bays 

 to the natal streams need not be reviewed in this 

 paper except to note that coastal tagging indicates 

 considerable "searching" or "to and fro" migra- 

 tions as the numerous stocks approach their home 

 estuaries (Noerenberg, 1959; Verhoeven, 1952). 



SUMMARY 



The oceanic migration of southeastern Alaska- 

 BritLsh Columbia pink salmon is shown diagram- 

 matically in figure 7 according to four time pe- 

 riods. The western limits and the southern limits 

 are only approximate. After spending 3 to 5 

 months in estuaries and inner bays and channels, 

 juvenile pink salmon enter the ocean proper in 

 July to September at a length of 10 to 15 cm. They 

 travel rapidly northward and westward along the 

 coast, following the Alaskan Gyre. By late Sep- 

 tember and early October they average 20 to 22 cm. 

 long. Their average rate of travel is about 10 to 

 12 miles (18.5-22.2 km.) per day. Between October 

 and midwinter they migrate southward and in 

 .Fanuary to February are spread widely between 

 lat. 41° and 51° N. and from long. 130° to 160° W. 

 and halve continued to migrate at least 10 miles 

 (18.5 km.) per day. At this stage the mean length is 

 30 cm. In their final spring and summer, they mi- 

 grate northward in the eastern (xulf from April 

 through July, then coastwiird to their respective 

 tlestinations; the late-spawning stocks turn back 

 .southeastward to return to their areas of origin. 

 Mean sizes at maturity vary from 45 to 55 cm. 

 Rates of travel in final coastward migrations are 

 at least 10 miles (18.5 km.) per day; some indi- 

 viduals migrate over 45 miles (83.3 km.) per day. 



OCEAN MIGRATIONS OF PINK SALMON 

 OF EAST KAMCHATKA 



Although data are fewer on the ocean migra- 

 tions of East Kamchatkan pink salmon than for 

 the southeastern Alaska-British Columbia stocks, 

 the probable sequence of migration can be inferred 

 and certain similarities and contrasts indicated. 



The East Kamchatkan stocks (mainly the 

 Karaginski district, fig. 8) are substantial, over 40 

 million adults in some odd-numbered years." The 

 spawning migration in the Karaginski region is 



" From : "Pacific s.ilmon catcli statistics of the Union nf Soviet 

 Socialist Kepublics 1940-195S" (plus similar tables for inilividual 

 .years 1959-64), as given to the International North Pacific 

 Klslicrics Commission b.v the .\ll-l'nlon Research Institute of 

 Ntarine Fisheries and OeeanoEraphy. Moscow, unpublished. 



446 



U.S. FISH AND WILDMFK SBRXICK 



