108 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



The adult mature salmon spawn usually in small streams which empty 

 into rivers and finally into the ocean. They start their spawning migra- 

 tion from the sea during the early summer and continue in large numbers 

 throughout the summer. The salmon return to the headwaters of their 

 native stream and the females deposit their eggs in the gravel of the 

 stream beds where the eggs are fertilized by the males, following which 

 the spawned-out adults die. The eggs develop during the winter and 

 hatch during the early spring of the following year. The salmon fry then 

 begin their downstream migration to the sea where they grow to adult 

 salmon and spend from two to five years before they return to the stream, 

 in which they were hatched, to spawn and die. The only variation in 

 this cycle occurs with the Oncorhynchus nerka which spends part of its 

 early life in lakes during its downstream migration. 



Chinook Salmon. Oncorhynchus tschawytscha, also known as king or 

 spring salmon, is the largest of the salmon, averaging 20 pounds in 

 weight. The flesh of this species varies from a deep red to white and is 

 used for curing, canning, and the fresh and frozen market. The chinook 

 salmon is caught commercially by purse seine, trolling, gill netting, and 

 by traps. 



Sockeye Salmon. Oncorhynchus nerka, also known as red, blueback, 

 and quinalt salmon, averages about Q}^ pounds in weight and is used 

 chiefly for canning. This species has flesh which is a deep orange-red 

 color. The bulk of the sockeye salmon catch is made with gill nets and 

 purse seines. 



Silver Salmon. Oncorhynchus kisutch is also commercially known as 

 coho and medium red salmon. This salmon averages about 8 pounds in 

 weight and has light red-colored flesh. The silver salmon is caught com- 

 mercially by trolling, seining, and gill netting. This species is primarily 

 used for the fresh and frozen markets, and a smaller portion of the catch 

 is canned. 



Pink Salmon. Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, also known as humpback sal- 

 mon, is primarily a canning fish and accounts for about one-third of the 

 canned salmon pack of the United States. This species has light pink- 

 colored flesh with a delicate flavor and has an average size of approxi- 

 mately 4 pounds. The majority of the commercial pink salmon are caught 

 in seines and gill nets with a small quantity taken by troUers and traps. 



Chum Salmon. Oncorhynchus keta is sometimes called dog salmon. This 

 salmon averages about 8 pounds in size and has deep pink to nearly 

 white-colored flesh. The bulk of the catch of chum salmon is canned, 

 though a substantial amount is sold on the fresh and frozen market. 

 This species is taken for market commercially by seines, gill nets, and 

 traps. 



