ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 43 



3. Reef Netters 



The number of reef nets operating in Puget Sound has 

 been reduced substantially during the last few years. The re- 

 duction has improved the income position of the reef net gear 

 although insufficient data was received to determine the earn- 

 ings exactly. 



4. Incomes of Share Individual Fishermen on Purse Seiners 



The response to a mail questionnaire distributed to purse 

 seine fishermen by Local 3, ILWU, was too scattered to pro- 

 vide an accurate picture of total income from all sources. 

 It was possible, however, to obtain useful information on 

 earnings from Puget Sound salmon fishing. Returns for 21 

 man/years indicated an average of less than $1,100 per 

 man/year from this source. This is consistent with the man- 

 shares in the purse seine survey, which averaged about 

 $1,900, but included Alaska fishing. Also, the average man- 

 share will always exceed the average earnings per individual 

 share since many fishermen do not fish the entire season. It 

 is impossible to earn, in purse seine fishing, even half of the 

 average income received by all Washington State residents. 



The principal outside job indicated by respondents was 

 longshoring, which is even more erratic as a source of income. 



One of the disturbing aspects of this "casual" labor force 

 is the inevitable waste of involuntary unemployment. If a 

 man wishes to fish during the summer, he removes himself 

 from most regular employment and has great difficulty in 

 finding other part-time work during the winter. This is evi- 

 dent in the fact that respondents drew unemployment com- 

 pensation in 59 per cent of the man/years reported. This 

 situation indicates not only an unsatisfactory income situation 

 for the fisherman but an economic burden on other state resi- 

 dents who contribute to the unemployment insurance program. 



The Relationship of Commercial and Sport Fisheries for Salmon 



Although this study is concerned with biological, legal, and eco- 

 nomic aspects of the Puget Sound net fishery for salmon, some 

 reference should be made to the economic importance of the large 

 sport fishery for salmon in the same area. There is no completely 

 accurate way of estimating either gross expenditures by salt water 



