ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES IN 1933 ' 



By Ward T. Bowkr. Chief, Division of Alaska Fisheries 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction _ 239 



Visit of the Commissioner of Fisheries to 



Alaska 240 



Fishery Industries 241 



New fishery regulations 241 



Annette Island Fishery Reserve 254 



Stream improvement— 255 



Stream marking 255 



Stream guards 255 



Vessel patrol - 256 



Complaints and prosecutions 256 



Territorial fishery legislation - - - 257 



Territorial license tax 258 



Water-power projects in Alaska - 258 



Kuskokwim River -. 259 



Yukon River.. 259 



Weirs for counting salmon escapement 260 



Olive Cove. 260 



Karluk River 260 



Chignik River 261 



Chinik Creek 261 



Alitak Bay... 261 



Salmon life-history studies 261 



Observations on the escapement of salmon. 262 



Hatcheries... 264 



Extent of operations 264 



Hatchery rebates 264 



General statistics of the fisheries 265 



Salmon 265 



Catch and apparatus 265 



Canning 269 



Changes in canneries 269 



New canneries 270 



Canneries not operated 270 



Total canneries operated 272 



Losses and disasters 274 



Statistics 274 



Pack in certain districts 278 



Mild curing 279 



Pickling 280 



Fresh salmon 281 



Freezing 282 



Dry-salted, dried, and other miscellaneous 



salmon products. 282 



Byproducts 282 



Herring. 283 



Statistical summary 284 



Halibut 286 



Statistical summary 286 



Cod 287 



Fishing Industries— Continued. P^S^ 



Whales 288 



Clams 288 



Shrimp 289 



Crabs 289 



Japanese vessels in Bering Sea 290 



Trout 290 



Miscellaneous fishery products. 290 



Fur-Seal Industry 291 



Pribilof Islands 291 



General administrative work 291 



Transportation of supplies 291 



Power vessel Penguin 292 



Roads 293 



Buildings 293 



Natives 294 



Census 294 



Medical service 294 



Schools.. 294 



Savings accounts 295 



Payments for taking fur-seal skins 295 



Payments for taking fox skins 296 



Fur seals 296 



Killings 296 



Age classes 298 



Reserving operations 298 



Computation of fur-seal herd 298 



Foxes 299 



Trapping season of 1933-34 299 



Reindeer 299 



Fur-seal skins 300 



Shipments. 300 



Sales - 300 



Disposition of fur-seal skins taken at 



Pribilof Islands... 303 



Shipment and sale of fox skins 304 



Sea-otter skins .'.. 305 



Fur-seal patrol 305 



United States Coast Guard 305 



Bureau of Fisheries.. 305 



Sealing privileges accorded aborigines 306 



Japanese sealskins delivered to the United 



States 306 



Computation of Fur Seals, Pribilof 



Island, 1933 306 



Bulls 307 



Average harem 308 



Pups and cows 309 



Mortality of seals at sea 310 



Complete computation 310 



INTRODUCTION 



The Bureau's work in Alaska, which pertains chiefly to the con- 

 servation of the fisheries and the management of the Pribilof 

 Islands fur-seal industry, was carried on along the same general 

 plan as in previous years, although some phases of the program were 



' Appendix II to the Report of the U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 1934. 

 May 31, 1934. 



Approved for publication, 

 239 



