592 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



occurred in southeastern Alaska during the past several years. In 

 this analysis a study was first made of the effect of the regulations 

 that have been in force at various times, and of the effect on the 

 catch of the improvements in the unit of fishing effort — the purse- 

 seine boat. Southeastern Alaska was divided into 33 areas to cor- 

 respond roughly to natural fishing grounds; and the abundance 

 studied in the individual areas by means of the average daily catch 

 per boat, the average number of deliveries per week per boat, and 

 the average weekly catch per boat. 



The report showed that a few of the areas were severely depleted, 

 especially those in the central portion of Chatham Strait and those 

 on the southern and eastern shores of Admiralty Island. Recom- 

 mendations were made that these areas be closed to all seine fishing 

 for at least five years. It was also recommended that the seining 

 season be opened July 1 instead of June 1 in Stephens Passage and 

 Lynn Canal ; that the areas including Point Gardner, Saginaw Bay, 

 and Keku Strait be closed to seining except during August; that 

 the western shore of Kuiu Island from Point Kingsmill to Point 

 Crowley be closed to seining during July ; and that the weekly closed 

 season for seining be extended to 48 hours along the southern shores 

 of Baranof Island, from Red Bluff Bay to Crawfish Inlet. No 

 recommendations were made for any of the other areas, including 

 such productive fishing grounds as Icy Strait, Sitka Sound, Cor- 

 onation and Warren Islands, and Noyes Island. 



During the summer of 1930 intensive field work was carried on 

 in southeastern Alaska by Edwin H. Dahlgren, temporary scientific 

 assistant. In addition to the regular samples, racial data were 

 obtained for the first time from the following localities : Cape Edge- 

 cumbe. Peril Strait, Kelp Bay, Warren Island, and Noyes Island. 

 In southeastern Alaska large racial samples, including vertebral 

 •counts, are now available from 32 localities and small samples from 

 about as many more. Altogether data are available on 10,000 speci- 

 mens. The ages have been determined from the scales for over 

 7,000 of these specimens, and as soon as the age readings are com- 

 pleted an intensive racial analysis will be made. 



As usual bureau representatives collected and preserved in for- 

 malin the annual series of samples for the fisheries at Prince William 

 Sound, Afognak Island, Shearwater Bay, and Dutch Harbor. 



Length data are now available for seven years, and age data for 

 six years in Prince William Sound. These are now being carefully 

 analyzed for fluctuations caused by dominant year classes and to- 

 gether with an analysis of the catch records, will soon be presented 

 in a report on this district, 



RAZOR CLAM OF ALASKA 



Observations were continued by Seton H, Thompson, temporary 

 assistant, on the razor-clam beds in the vicinity of Cordova, Alaska, 

 during the 1930 season. With a slight increase in intensity of fish- 

 ing, approximately the same pack was prepared in 1930 as in 1929, 

 Both of these packs exceed those of the preceding three years in that 

 district. 



