302 ' U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
SALMON 
There was a general abundance of salmon in practically all areas of 
Alaska in 1936, and the catch was the largest that has ever been taken 
from Alaska waters. The output of canned salmon exceeded the 
previous record pack for 1934 by 955,773 cases. 
Red salmon were more abundant in southeast Alaska than for any 
other year since 1930, while in central Alaska the presence of good 
runs in various localities resulted in the largest catch of red salmon 
that has been recorded for this district. Although the fish were 
plentiful in Bristol Bay, the most important red-salmon district in 
Alaska, they were of smaller size than in some years, and the pack was 
not as large as usual in proportion to the catch. 
Immense numbers of pink salmon entered the waters of southeast 
and central Alaska, and both the catch and pack of this species reached 
new levels. The increase was especially apparent in the central dis- 
trict, where the volume of the output was augmented not only by the 
great numbers taken but also by the unusually large size of the indi- 
vidual fish in certain areas, notably Kodiak and Chignik. 
Of the three less abundant species of salmon in Alaska, the catch 
of each showed a gain over that of the preceding year and compared 
favorably with the annual average for any 5-year period. That these 
catches had been surpassed a few times in previous years does not of 
itself signify that the runs in 1936 were lighter than they had been 
formerly, as the curtailment of fall fishing affected the 1936 catch to 
some extent. For example, there was no fall catch from the runs of 
cohos in Copper and Eyak Rivers, as cannerymen would not meet 
the prices demanded by the fishermen. The unusually large pack 
during the summer, of course, was the chief factor that led to a cur- 
tailment of fall operations. 
The total catch of salmon increased about 77 percent over that for 
1935. By districts, the increase was 60 percent in southeast Alaska, 
44 percent in central, and 420 percent in western Alaska. 
As compared with the apparatus operated in Alaska as a whole in 
1935, there was an increase of 5 percent in the number of fathoms of 
seines, 111 percent in the number of fathoms of gill nets, and 1 percent 
in the number of traps used in the salmon fishery. 
CATCH AND APPARATUS 
The total number of seines used in the salmon industry in 1936 was 
952, of which 735 were purse seines and 217 beach seines. The purse 
seines aggregated 118,705 fathoms of webbing, and the beach seines 
20,129 fathoms. The number of gill nets used was 4,211, having a 
total length of 296,573 fathoms. There were 169 driven and 284 
floating traps—a total of 453. 
Southeastern Alaska was accredited with 552 seines, or a total of 
96,085 fathoms, a decrease of 17 seines but an increase of 6,645 fathoms 
of webbing from the number used in 1935; also with 359 gill nets, 
aggregating 26,330 fathoms, the same number of nets but a decrease 
of 2,095 fathoms of webbing; and with 30 driven and 254 floating traps, 
the same number of driven traps and an increase of four floating traps, 
as compared with the number operated in 1935. 
Corresponding figures for central Alaska show 396 seines, or 41,749 
fathoms, as compared with 397 seines, or 41,412 fathoms, m 1935; 
1,522 gill nets, or 85,690 fathoms, as compared with 993 gill nets, or 
