58 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



1922, all of its fishing being carried on in the shallow waters of 

 Bering Sea, extending several miles off the delta. The season was 

 successful, fishing operations beginning June 10 and ending July 11, 

 when it was necessary to close the plant in order to make connections 

 at St. Michaels with the steamship Victoria, which took the pack to 

 Seattle. The total catch was 16,825 kings, from which 277 tierces 

 were mild cured and 26 tons frozen. The 2,787 chum salmon taken 

 were turned over to the natives camped around the saltery. Rates 

 paid for king salmon ranged from 25 to 35 cents each to fishermen 

 who were furnished gear by the company, and 40 to 60 cents to 

 independent hshermen. Chum salmon were not purchased by the 

 company. 



The bureau's representative reported that the catch by natives 

 along the river was probably the smallest in its history, which was 

 probably clue to the extreme high water, the river being bank full all 

 summer, the longest stage of high water ever known. At a number 

 of places good catches were made, which indicated that there was a 

 normal run. It was reported also that the natives fished less dili- 

 gently than usual, as in many places they were still supplied with 

 money from the sale of their large catch of furs the previous winter. 

 All occupied camps from the delta to Rampart Rapids were visited, 

 the catch being estimated at approximately 15,000 kings and 215 

 tons of dried dog salmon. In addition, AV. F. O'Connor, at An- 

 dreafsky, and Charles Homeier, at Mountain Village, put up small 

 packs of canned salmon, 418 cases and 43 cases, respectively, for 

 local use. 



HATCHERIES. 

 EXTENT OF OPERATIONS. 



Four hatcheries, exclusive of Territorial plants, were again oper- 

 ated in Alaska in 1922. Two belong to the United States and are 

 located at Afognak Lake on Afognak Island and at McDonald Lake 

 near Yes Bay in southeast Alaska. A third is maintained by the 

 Alaska Packers Association at Loring, and the fourth by the North- 

 western Fisheries Co. at Quadra. The total number of red-salmon 

 eggs collected at these four hatcheries in 1922 was 110,745,000, which 

 is a decrease of 17,455,000 from the collections of 1921. The largest 

 decrease occurred at McDonald Lake, where the take of eggs in 1922 

 was 26,000,000 less than in 1921. 



Operations of Federal and private hatcherie.^ in Alaska in 1922. 



Location of hatchery 



McDonald Lake 

 Afognak Lake. . 



Fortmann 



Quadra 



Total 



Red or sockeye salmon. 



Eggs taken 

 in 1921. 



151,000,000 



2 53,835,000 



13,380,000 



9,985,000 



128,200,000 



Salmon liber- 

 ated in 1921- 

 22. 



47,640,000 

 32,580,000 

 12,885,000 

 9,647,000 



102,752,000 



Eggs taken 

 in 1922. 



25,000,000 



•61,790,000 



17,760,000 



6,195,000 



110,745,000 



1 150,000 eved eggs planted in two lakes adjacent to the hatchery. 

 * Shipped" 5,200,000 red salmon eggs to State hatchery at Bonneville, Oreg. 



'Shipped to Territorial Fish Commission 5,098,931! red salmon eggs; to State hatchery at BonneviUe, 

 Oreg., 5,045,000 red-salmon eggs; to the Washington State Fish Commission 534,404 red-salmon egga 



