XIV 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



the effectiveness of the restrictions imposed by the regulations. 

 Conditions were generally satisfactory in the Prince William Sound 

 region also, with the exception of the Copper River, where both 

 the run and escapement of red salmon were small. The escapement 

 in the Cook Inlet district as a whole was regarded as satisfactory. 

 In the Alaska Peninsula area the escapement was fair, as compared 

 with the run that was regarded as below average. Conditions in 

 the Bristol Bay area were unsatisfactory. As soon as it was realized 

 that the run was small, regulations were promulgated discontinuing 

 commercial fishing forthwith, but a later inspection of the spawning 

 grounds of the eastern side of Bristol Bay showed a very poor 

 escapement. Conditions were considerably better in the Nushagak 

 Bay tributaries, where there were indications of a good escapement. 



EXTENT OF THE ALASKA FISHERIES 



Although there was a decreased production of salmon in Alaska 

 in 1925, the industry showed a slightly larger investment, and more 

 persons were employed. The catch of salmon in southeastern Alaska 

 increased 3.6 per cent, while that in the central district declined 45 

 per cent and in western Alaska 31 per cent. The smaller catch in 

 central Alaska was due to the smaller run of humpback salmon that 

 occurs in alternate years; and the decline in western Alaska resulted 

 chiefly from the small take in Bristol Bay, where commercial fishing 

 was ordered discontinued at an earlier date to permit a proportion- 

 ately larger escapement of spawning salmon. The decrease in the 

 catch of salmon for Alaska as a whole was about 19 per cent. A 

 comparison of Alaska salmon canning operations in 1924 and 1925 

 follows. 



Item 



Percentage 

 of increase 

 (+) or de- 

 crease (— ) 



Canneries operated 



Cases of salmon packed 



Value 



Persons employed 



Cases of salmon packed, by species 



Coho 



Chum 



Humpback... 



King... 



Red 



Number of salmon caught.. 



-0.77 

 -15.77 

 -3.08 



+8.45 



-12.30 



+4.88 

 -18. 86 

 +48. 53 

 -26. 81 

 -19.16 



Other salmon products were : Mild cured, 5,217,600 pounds, valued 

 at $1,085,466; pickled, 629,600 pounds, valued at $84,731; fresh, 

 2.620,017 pounds, valued at $223,907; frozen, 2,572,623 pounds, 

 valued at $170,663 ; dry salted, dried, and smoked, 1,048,045 pounds, 

 valued at $126,465; fertilizer, 1,432,625 pounds, valued at $41,807; 

 and oil, 40,680 gallons, valued at $18,330. The total value of these 

 minor products in 1925 was $1,751,369. The value of similar prod- 

 ucts in 1924 was $1,786,369. 



The products of the herring fishery were as follows : Bait, 7,086,840 

 pounds, valued at $39,426; Scotch cured, 33,925,975 pounds, valued 

 at $2,270,577 ; Norwegian cured, 365,225 pounds, valued at $22,969 ; 



