FISHES 



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COMMERCIAL FISH 



Each year Alaska's commercial 

 fisheries yield products of greater 

 value than any other natural re- 

 source. Fishing contributes over 

 one-half of the Territorial tax rev- 

 enue and provides employment for 

 about 30,000 persons, almost a 

 fourth of the population. 



The salmon industry is the 

 foundation of Alaska's economic 

 structure. Five species of salmon — 

 king or chinook, silver or coho, 

 red or sockeye, pink or humpback, 

 and chum or dog — are taken by 

 trolling at sea and by fish traps, 

 beach seines, purse seines, and gill 

 nets in inside waters. Fishing is 

 principally confined to the spawn- 

 ing runs, when the mature fish 

 gather in well-defined migration 

 routes on their way from the ocean 

 to the rivers and streams. All 

 species of Pacific salmon are anad- 

 romous, that is, they return from 

 the ocean to the freshwater streams 

 of their birth to spawn. Unlike 

 Atlantic salmon. Pacific salmon die 

 after a single spawning. 



Next in importance are halibut, 

 herring, clams, crabs, sablefish, and 

 shrimp. Trout, rockfish, lingcod, 

 oysters, smelts, and others are taken 

 in limited quantities. 



To protect these fish, the Fish and 



Wildlife Service patrols most of 

 the 33,000 miles of Alaska's coast- 

 line during the fishing season. With 

 proper management, the fisheries 

 can be maintained indefinitely at a 

 high level of production but con- 

 servation measures must match the 

 constantly increasing commercial 

 operations. So much gear has been 

 added to the fishing fleet since 

 World War II that salmon runs in 

 most areas have shown distinct 

 signs of depletion. 



Salmon are rich in proteins, fats, 

 and vitamins, and are especially 

 good for canning. Although large 

 quantities are sold on the fresh-fish 

 markets and considerable amounts 

 are frozen, pickled, and smoked, 

 the bulk of the catch is canned. 



Kinds of salmon — King or chi- 

 nook salmon occur in Alaska from 

 Dixon Entrance to the Yukon 

 River. They reach maturity at 

 widely differing ages, varying from 

 3 to 7 years. Full-grown kings 

 average about 23 pounds, although 

 an occasional one may weigh as 

 much as 100 pounds. Kings usu- 

 ally migrate into the larger rivers, 

 such as those on the mainland, and 

 are the first species to enter the 

 commercial fisheries in each of the 

 several districts. The runs in 

 Southeastern Alaska are generally 



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