Alaska. The general objective of this study 

 is to relate survival of salmon eggs and fry 

 to changes in the stream environment that 

 may be caused by logging operations. The 

 broad pljin on which this work is proceeding 

 is to observe conditions in the streams be- 

 fore and after logging. Biologists from the 

 Fisheries Research Institute have devised 

 experimental techniques for measuring sub- 

 surface flows, water temperatures, silta- 

 tion, and oxygen levels in the gravel during 

 the time that the fry are developing, and 

 in 1958 this information was systematically 

 recorded for the study streams. Through the 

 use of tower-counting techniques similar to 

 those previously developed at Bristol Bay 

 data were obtained on pink salmon spawning. 

 Since pink salmon move up the streams chiefly 

 at night, it was necessciry to develop a 

 system of underwater lighting for use in the 

 tower counting. 



Yakut at 



The salmon fishery of the Yakut at 

 district, which extends from Icy Bay to Cape 

 Fairweather, poses management problems not 

 found elsewhere in Alaska. Many of the 

 streams are geologically "young" and have 

 developed fish runs within recent times. 



Coho salmon was the first species to populate 

 this virgin area and, except for strays of 

 other species, is still dominant in the new- 

 er stream systems. The rivers of the area 

 have not yet developed estuaries and empty 

 directly into the Gulf of Alaska. Conse- 

 quently, although there is some trolling in 

 offshore waters, practically all the commer- 

 cial fishery is conducted with set gill nets 

 placed in the rivers. In this respect the 

 Yakutat fishery differs from all other salm- 

 on fisheries in Alaska. The complexity of 

 the catch composition in this fishery is 

 Shown in table 3. 



In 1958 the fishing season was inter- 

 rupted by an earthqucike on July 12. Con- 

 tinuing tremors kept fishermen away from 

 the fishing grounds for several days. The 

 effect this had on the total Yakutat salmon 

 run is unknown. The pink and chum salmon 

 catch was 60,000 and 20,000 fish respective- 

 ly. Both figures are in excess of the aver- 

 ages for the past ten years of 33,000 pink 

 and 13,000 chum salmon. The 45,000 red and 

 92,000 coho salmon produced in 1958 are 

 about one-half the average for the past ten 

 years. At present the major part of the 

 king salmon run in the Alsek River is pro- 

 tected from the fishery in an attempt to 

 restore this run to its former abundance. 



Tab^e 3. — Species composition of Yakutat salmon fishery. 



Situk and 

 Ahrnklin Rivers 



62 June 23 - August 10 



62 June 23 - August 30 



62 June 23 - Sept. 30 



62 August 10 - Sept. 30 



Dangerous River 



August 10 

 Not fished 



Sept. 30 

 - 1958 



Ittdio River 



4 June 30 - August 10 

 _4 August 10 - Sept. 30 



Akwe River 



5 June 30 - August 10 

 5 August 10 - Sept. 30 



Alsek River 



29 June 2 - August 10 

 29 August 10 - Sept. 30 



East River 



5 June 23 - August 10 

 5 August 10 - Sept. 30 



Dohn River 



2 June 23 - August 10 



2 June 30 - August 10 



_2 August 10 - Sept. 30 



