ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1927 89 



In view of the req-uirement that all commercial fishing in the 

 reserve be done by resident natives, herring packers recruited some 

 35 men (comprising seven herring-seining crews) among the Afognak 

 natives, who earlier in the season had been engaged in the salmon 

 fishery. Little success was attained, partly due to lack of experience 

 but chiefly because the herring did not enter the waters of the reserve 

 in great numbers during the season of 1927. 



ANNETTE ISLAND FISHERY RESERVE 



The Annette Island Packing Co. again operated in the Annette 

 Island Fishery Reserve in 1927 imder its lease from the Department 

 of the Interior. Data regarding fishery operations have been fur- 

 nished by the Bureau of Education of that department, which 

 administers the affairs of the reserve for the benefit of the Metlakatla 

 Indians residing there. 



In 1927 the total number of fish taken from traps within the reserve 

 was 120,954 of all species, on which the minimum royalty of S6,000 

 was paid. If royalties based on the number of fish actually taken 

 had been paid the amount would have been but SI, 917. 58. The case 

 tax on canned salmon under the Territorial law, which is payable 

 to the Metlakatla Indians, amounted to $468.94; trap fees on six 

 traps, at $200 each, amounted to $1,200; and rental of cannery 

 buildmgs was $3,000. In addition, $21,674.33 was paid to 152 

 natives for labor, $3,051.73 for lumber and piling, and $2.30 for 

 fish taken by seines, making a grand total of $35,397.30 disbursed 

 by the Annette Island Packing Co. to the natives for 1927 operations. 

 The corresponding disbursements during the preceding year were 

 $73,465.65. 



ALASKA FISHERY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE 



As in former years, the bureau continued to report by telegraph to 

 the important points in southeastern and central Alaska the prices of 

 fresh fish (chiefly halibut) at Ketchikan. This service was discontin- 

 ued during the halibut closed season, as only small quantities of other 

 fresh fish are sold during that period. 



STREAM MARKING 



A consistent plan of stream marking to show waters not open to 

 fishing is being carried out each year, and all bureau boats in the 

 Alaska service are engaged in that work from time to time, but 

 chiefly during the early spring. Most of the salmon streams have 

 been marked, but it is necessary to inspect each district in order to 

 replace markers that have disappeared or become defaced and to 

 move those showing the limits of closed areas changed by regula- 

 tions. 



STREAM GUARDS 



The bureau employed 151 men in 1927 as stream guards and special 

 employees in connection with law-enforcement duties. Of these, 79 

 were stationed in southeastern Alaska, 51 in central, and 21 in western 

 Alaska. Some of the temporary workers were engaged for only a few 

 days, but the period of employment of the stream guards ranged from 

 two to five months. 



