46 SALMON GEAR LIMITATION 



TABLE 4. Potential Savings from Gear Reduction- 

 Selected Years 



1955 1956 1958 1959 



50 per cent Reduction 



Purse Seine $1,950,000 $ 553,000 $2,822,000 $ 670,000 



Gill Net 462,000 573,000 814,000 294,000 



Reef Net 227,000 150,000 135,000 88,000 



Total Reduction 



in cost $2,639,000 $1,276,000 $3,771,000 $1,002,000 



33V^ per cent Reduction 



Purse Seine $1,300,000$ 368,000 $1,881,000 $ 447,000 



Gill Net 309,000 393,000 544,000 176,000 



Reef Net 152,000 100,000 90,000 59,000 



Total Reduction 



in cost $1,761,000 $861,000 $2,515,000 $682,000 



These calculations were based on the assumption that all gear 

 is reduced proportionately in terms of number of units. From an 

 economic standpoint there is no clear evidence that any of these 

 types of gear is significantly more efficient than the others, at least 

 from the data available. It seems highly likely that the wide varia- 

 tions in salmon runs in Puget Sound would make the gill net a more 

 efficient type of gear under some conditions and the purse seiner more 

 efficient under others. In all years there will be specific conditions 

 under which no single type of gear could harvest fish appropriately. 

 For these reasons we have assumed that a proportional reduction 

 in gear would be most equitable and would probably be as efficient 

 as any technique that might be employed. Because reef nets have 

 already been reduced substantially, however, we have also considered 

 the savings that would be achieved if the reduction in gear were 

 confined only to purse seiners and gill nets. In all cases the reduction 

 in savings would amount to less than $200,000 per year in the years 

 sampled if the number of reef nets remained at present levels. 



It must be emphasized that these estimates are conservative, since 



