salmon taken during the season were unquestlcnably mature. 0^^'ln§. to, 

 the doubt that exists concerning the state of maturity of the salmon 

 examined, the data on maturity are not included herein, They do indi- 

 cate^ however^ that a portion of the salmon caught was immature and 

 consequently resident in the waters where they were taken. As noted in 

 previous years j most of the fish taken were actively feeding at the 

 time of capture and most of them were traveling in an easterly direction o 



Summary'- of 19U1 operations • 



lo During the course of the I9UI operations 5 salmon were taken in 

 all areas fished in Bering Sea^ The data obtained in I9UI together with 

 those obtained in 1939 and I9U0 justify the belief that during the summer 

 months 3 at least^ salmon can be taken anywhere in the waters on the conti- 

 nental shelf of eastern Bering Sea^ an area exceeding 100^000 square miles =, 



2„ Fishing operations were carried on as far west as Petrel Bank 

 abeam of Semisopochnoi Island and as far north as Nunivak and St. Matthew 

 Islands., 



3o The abundance of salmon diminishes rapidly v>rest of the Islands of 

 Four Mountains o 



!;« In agreement with the data collected during previous years, most 

 of the salmon taken were actively feeding at the time of capture. 



5o Further evidence was obtained, in the catching of irauBture fish to 

 justify the belief that some salmon never migrate south of the Alaska 

 Peninsula but remain in Bering Sea throughout their ocean residence. 



CONCLUSIONS 



lo The salmon populations of Alaska are a self-perpetuating resource, 

 and the present high level of baundance and productivity is the result of 

 generally wise and sound conservation measures promulgated and enforced by 

 the U. 3. Governraento These populations are being fished by American -nation- 

 als as intensively as possible consistent with intelligent managerial proced- 

 ure. The resource, however, is extremely vulnerable to overexploitation, 

 and only through constant surveillance can the present level of productivity 

 be maintained,. Unrestrained exploitation would most certainly result in 

 depletion of the resource and finaicial loss to the industry. 



2, Experimental fishing operations conducted, by the Uo 3. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service have shewn that salmon can be taken at any locality on 

 the continental shelf In eastern Bering Sea. 'SVhile the exploratory fishing 

 was not designed for testing ful]ythe feasibility of commercial operations 

 in these waters there is little doubt that such operations could be carried 

 on^ if not at every locality on the shelf at least in many and especially 

 in the offshore waters of Bristol Bay proper. Experimental fishing opei'a- 



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