88 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



of persons engaged was 23,994, an increase of 1,532 over the previous 

 year; the investment amounted to $39,569,612, an increase of more 

 than $2,253,000; and the value of the products was $26,156,559, an 

 increase of more than $5,157,000. The yield of the fisheries in both 

 quantity and value was the largest in the history of Alaska. The 

 record year, 1914, was surpassed by nearly $5,000,000 in the market 

 value of the output. 



The salmon industry in 1916 represented 88 per cent of the total 

 investment in Alaska fisheries and 92 per cent of the total value of 

 products. An important feature of the business was the operation 

 of 100 canneries, a gain of 15 over 1915. The pack of canned fish 

 reached the stupendous total of 4,900,627 cases, valued at $23,269,429, 

 wliich figines were never before equaled. In southeast Alaska, the 

 runs of coho and chum salmons were the largest ever known, and the 

 runs of humpback and red salmons were exceeded only by the seasons 

 of 1915 and 1914, respectively. In central Alaska there were exceed- 

 ingly heavy rmis of humpbacks and reds, and the fish canned exceeded 

 by 400,000 cases the high record of 1914. In western Alaska, the 

 district in which the red salmon predominates, the catch of 19,600,000 

 fish was but little less than the average for the five-year period ending 

 with 1916 and was about 3,000,000 fish more than in 1915. 



The other important Alaska fisheries in 1916 had the following 

 value of products: Halibut $679,463, cod $518,797, herring $418,076. 

 and whale $363,721. As compared with 1915, the halibut and whale 

 fisheries showed a decline and the cod and herring fisheries an advance, 



VIOLATIONS OF THE FISHERY LAWS. 



Taking into consideration the immense extent of the fisheries, the 

 vast territory covered by the operations, the comparatively unset- 

 tled condition of most of the coastal sections, and the strong tempta- 

 tions that come to the fishermen to take fish regardless of the welfare 

 of the industry, serious violations of the fishery laws are remarkably 

 infrequent. 



During the 1916 fishing season a number of cases of minor infraction 

 of the laws were reported by the Bureau's agents to the local United 

 States commissioners and district attorneys. These cases involved 

 fishing during the weekly close period, fishing in prohibited areas, 

 and using nets within illegal distance of other nets. In most instances 

 conviction was secured and a fine was imposed. A noteworthy batch 

 of cases was brought before the United States commissioner at Haines 

 in August, 1916. The Bureau's warden made complaint against the 

 operators of 3 boats and 28 operators of nets, found fishing in Chilkoot 

 River and Chilkoot Lake in violation of the weekly close-time provi- 

 sion of law. All of the defendants pleaded guilty and were fined from 

 $1 to $250 and costs. 



CENSUS OF WOOD RIVER SALMON. 



Wood River, a tributary of Nushagak Bay, has for many years 

 been set aside as a natural breeding preserve for salmon, chiefly 

 resorted to by the red salmon. In order to keep informed as to the 

 extent to which the salmon are able to escape the commercial fishing 

 operations in Nushagak Bay and pass up Wood River to their spawn- 



