ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1924 



119 



Summary of persons engaged, investment, and products of the Alaska fisheries in 



1924— Continued 



' These figures represent the value of the manufactured product. It is estimated that the value of the 

 catch to the fishermen was approximately $10,400,000. The round weight of the salmon catch landed by 

 the fishermen was appro-ximately 438,516,157 pounds, and the corresponding figures for herring were ap- 

 proximately 100,000,000 pounds. The cod figures given above do not include the offshore catch from 

 waters adjacent to Alaska, which amounted to 6,584,819 pounds dry-salted and 94,000 pounds of tongues, 

 having a total value of $367,513, landed at ports of the Pacific Coast States. It is estimated that approxi- 

 mately 240 persons were engaged in the oft'shore cod fishery, with an investment of about $200,000: these 

 figures are not included in the tabulations. 



SALMON 



The production of salmon in Alaska in 1924 as a whole showed 

 an increase of approximately 2}^^ per cent over 1928, due primarily 

 to a very heavy run of humphack salmon in the central district, 

 where the total catch increased 161 per cent. This enormous in- 

 crease, which occurred chiefly in the Prince William Sound region, 

 may he regarded as the outstanding feature of the Alaska salmon 

 production during the year. In western Alaska, where red salmon 

 constitute the greater part of the catch, there w^as a decline of 32 

 per cent, while in southeastern Alaska the decline was 18 per cent 

 helow the figures for 1923. 



An important factor in this reduced catch was the putting into 

 effect of regulations by the Secretary of Commerce under authority 

 of the act of June 6, 1924, prohibiting or sharply curtailing fishing 

 in certain specific areas, and imposing restrictions in regard to seasons 

 and charact(3r and quantity of apparatus employed. It is yet too 

 early to see the final effect of the regulations, but undoubtedly the 

 situation is well in hand and the future of the industry assured. 



CATCH AND APPARATUS 



The total number of seines used in the salmon industry of Alaska 

 in 1924 was 437, of which 105 were beach seines and 332 were purse 

 seines. The beach seines aggregated 14,305 fathoms of web])ing 

 and the purse seines 57,104 fathoms. The number of gill nets used 

 was 2,916, having a total length of 319,285 fathoms. There were 

 278 driven traps and 180 floating traps, or a total of 458. 



Southeast Alaska is credited with 308 seines, or a total of 51,699 

 fathoms of webbing, a reduction of 57 seines, or 718 fathoms, from 

 the number used in 1923; also Avith 201 gill nets, aggregating 17,395 

 fathoms, a reduction of 31 nets, or 1,771 fathoms less than the 



