Only two red salmon were captured during the three days fishing 

 operations were carried on, the majority of the fish being chum salmon. 

 It is known that fairly large numbers of chum salmon enter the Yukon 

 River to the north of this section line and that small runs of the 

 other species of salmon are present in many of the rivers of north- 

 western Alaskao It is probable that most of the migrating adult salmon 

 in the region along this section line are enroute northward. 



From Sto Matthew Island, fishing operations were carried on along 

 a section line extending southward to the pribilof Islands. The data 

 are presented in table 18. 



Table 18. Gill net catches along the section line from St. Ifetthew 



Island to the Pribilof Islands. 



As will be noted from this table, salmon were taken at all points 

 fished along this section line, chum salmon being more numerous in the 

 northern part of the region and red salmon being more numerous in the 

 southern part of the region | these results being in agreement with the 

 data, presented in tables 8 and 9, obtained in I9UO0 



As mentioned, the purpose of using several sizes of meshes in the 

 gill net was to obtain immature salmon as well as mature migrating fish. 

 It proved difficult, however, to obtain data on the relative abundance 

 of immature fish. The smaller, immature, salmon would not endeavor to 

 pass through the meshes - which they must attempt to do if they are to 

 be caught in this type of gear - and consequently the small mesh net 

 acted more as a lead than a gill net. Furthermore, it was impossible 

 to set up a valid criterion of immaturity based on the size of the fish 

 or the size of the eggSo Five red salmon were taken on July 10, when 

 fishing 200 mile" north of Cape Mordvinof, that v/ere unquestionably 

 immatxire fish and throughout the season's operations a portion of the 

 red salmon taken were considered to be immature. Of the chum salmon 

 taken, a greater percentage of possibly immature f: sh was taken between 

 Nunivak Island and St. Matthew Island than in other areas. On July 17, 

 of 53 chum salmon exarained, 17 were undoubtedly mature, 2 were question- 

 able, and it was considered that 3U were immature. The two king salmon 

 taken on that date v.rere considered as being immature. All of the pink 



27 



