28 ^' S, BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



SALMON 



Considering the salmon runs in Alaska as a whole, there was ap- 

 parently a greater abundance and more even distribution in all dis- 

 tricts than for any preceding year. The output of canned salmon was 

 the largest in the history of the industry, exceeding the previous record 

 pack for 1926 by 828,948 cases. Because of the large production 

 during the summer, few canneries were operated in the fall season. 



Heavy runs of red salmon again entered Bristol Bay, and although 

 the catch in these waters was somewhat less than in the previous year, 

 the decrease in numbers was more than offset by the larger size of the 

 fish in 1934. Many of the Bristol Bay packers again had all their cans 

 filled and discontinued operations before the close of the fishing season. 

 Red salmon were plentiful also in the Chignik, Kodiak, Cook Inlet, 

 and Copper River areas. The total catch of this species in Alaska 

 was the largest since 1922, while the amount canned exceeded that 

 for any previous year, which may be attributed in part to a decline in 

 the pickled salmon industry, making almost the entire catch available 

 for cannmg. 



Enormous runs of pink salmon appeared both in southeastern and 

 central Alaska, and the catch and pack of this species were the largest 

 on record. Reports indicated that the fish were unusually small in 

 the early runs in some sections but those that appeared later were of 

 larger size. 



Cohos, chums, and kings were fairly abundant, but no unusual 

 catches were made of these species during the season. The total 

 number of king salmon taken was the smallest for any year since 1914, 

 which may be attributed in part to the suspension of operations in 

 certain districts because of a shortage of containers and other supplies 

 due to the longshoremen's strike on the Pacific coast and in part to 

 strikes of fishermen for higher prices. The fishing season for king 

 salmon in the Copper River area opened on May 1, but it was not until 

 May 30 that an agreement regarding prices was reached between 

 cannerymen and fishermen, largely through the mediation of Hugh J. 

 Wilde, representative of the National Industrial Recovery Adminis- 

 tration in Alaska. When fishing was begun on May 31, the greater 

 part of the king salmon run in that region was over. In southeastern 

 Alaska a strike of the trollers continued through Jime and Juh^ and was 

 finally settled through the organization of a cooperative marketing 

 association. The voluntary curtailment of fall fishing likewise less- 

 ened the catch, particularly of cohos and chums. 



The total catch of salmon increased 42 percent over that for 1933. 

 By districts, southeastern Alaska and central Alaska showed gains of 

 about 75 percent and 49 percent, respectively, while in western Alaska 

 the catch decreased about 6 percent. 



There was an increase of about 30 percent for the whole of Alaska in 

 the number of fathoms of seines used, 5 percent in the number of 

 fathoms of gill nets, and about 15 percent in the numlier of traps, as 

 compared with those in operation in 1933. 



