ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1927 107 



ment were made in all districts by bureau employees, and reports 

 were submitted so that adequate regulatory measures might be issued. 



Southeastern Alaska. — In the Icy Strait-Cross Sound district the 

 run was light, and very few salmon entered the creeks untU the close of 

 the fishing season, after which there was a good escapement. Similar 

 conditions prevailed in the central district, with a fair escapement into 

 certain creeks after the close of the fishing season, especially on the 

 west coast of Chichagof Island and in the vicinity of Salisbury Sound, 

 Sitka, and Peril Strait. 



In waters south of the fifty-seventh parallel, north latitude, the runs, 

 with few exceptions, were very light, that in the Wrangell district 

 being the smallest on record. This was particularly true of the hump- 

 back and chum salmon, which commercially are the most important 

 species in this section. The runs of reds and cohos were but little 

 smaller than in other recent years, and king salmon were more numer- 

 ous in many localities than for a long period, especially on the west 

 coast of Prince of Wales Island. The rims of all species except kings 

 were unusually late throughout the district, almost no pink and chum 

 salmon reaching the streams until the beginning of the closed season, 

 and then only in small numbers. For a short period during the latter 

 part of July and the first of August the water was very low in nearly 

 all of the island streams, but it is thought that this condition will 

 have little eft'ect on future runs, as very few salmon were about the 

 mouths of the streams at that time. Heavy rains later made the 

 streams unusually high by the time the pinks and chums finally 

 arrived, and they experienced no difficulty in reaching the spawning 

 grounds. The salmon, however, came only in small schools, entirely 

 insufficient for adecjuate seeding, even in the few streams having 

 comparatively large runs. 



Various reports of heavy runs were received after the closure of com- 

 mercial fishing, but investigation proved them wholly unfounded. 

 After a two-weeks survey of the spawning grounds, during which 25 of 

 the principal streams of the district were examined, a cannery repre- 

 sentative with years of practical experience in the salmon fishery, who 

 accompanied the bureau's employees on the trip, stated that in his 

 opinion the escapement into all the streams examined was less than 

 25 per cent of that of a normal year. It is believed that the early 

 closing of the fishing season, with no reopening to fall fishing, wa-s the 

 saving factor in the whole escapement situation. In view of the 

 extent of the run, the escapement was considered very satisfactory 

 and encouraging. 



Prince William Sound and Copper River region. — In the Copper 

 River area the run of cohos was the best in many years, and Bering 

 River also had good numbers of this species. The run of red salmon, 

 however, was small. Examination of salmon streams in Prince 

 William Sound showed a much better escapement than in the preced- 

 ing year, particularly on the west coast, and the spawning salmon 

 were more evenly distributed. The run of pink salmon (the pre- 

 dominating species of this locality) was very good for the alternating 

 off year, and the pack in the district was much larger than had been 

 anticipated. The escapement in the district generally was very 

 satisfactory. 



Cook Inlet district. — Red salmon did not begin to run in any appre- 

 ciable numbers until July 15, prior to which date there was a very 

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