42 



U. S. BUREAU OF riSHERIES. 



boats Sivan and Ter7i were used in cruising the Yukon and some 

 tributaries. The report by Dr. Gilbert and Mr. O'Malley is pub- 

 lished in full elsewhere in this document. 



In line with the recommendation in their report that all commer- 

 cial fishing in the Yukon be suspended, a public hearing was held in 

 Seattle, Wash., on Xovember 23, 1920, to consider the advisability of 

 such action. Satisfactory information was presented at that hearing 

 in support of the opinion generally expressed that commercial fish- 

 ing for export could not be continued without seriously depleting the 

 runs of salmon and jeopardizing the lives of the native inliabitants 

 of the region and their indispensable dogs. Accordingly the Secre- 

 tary of Commerce issued an order on December 18, 1920, proliibiting 

 the taking of salmon for other than local use from the Yukon River, 

 its tributaries, and the waters Avithin 500 yards of the mouth thereof 

 after August 31, 1921. 



HATCHERIES. 



EXTENT OF OPERATIONS. 



The two Federal salmon hatcheries in Alaska, one on McDonald 

 Lake, in the southeast district, and the other on Afognak Lake, 

 in the central district, were operated in 1920, except that at the 

 station first named no eggs Avere collected during the year. In 

 addition, two private hatcheries were operated in southeast Alaska, 

 one a few miles from Loring, owned by the Alaska Packers Asso- 

 ciation, and the other at Quadra, owned by the Northwestern 

 Fisheries Co. All of these hatcheries were engaged chiefly in the 

 propagation of red salmon. 



The Territorial Fish Commission of Alaska' also operated a hatch- 

 ery at Juneau, the collection of eggs being made at two field stations, 

 one of which was on the mainland of Alaska, a few miles north of 

 Juneau, wliile the other was at Auk Cove, on the north shore of Ad- 

 miralty Island, a])Out 25 miles southwest of Juneau. 



Exclusive of the number collected by the Territorial commission, 

 the total take of red-salmon eggs by the Federal and privately owned 

 hatcheries hereinbefore mentioned was 99.990,000, or 19,070,000 less 

 than the number collected in 1919. This smaller collection is ac- 

 counted for by the total susj^ension of operations at the McDonald 

 Lake station, where important repairs to the plant were being made, 

 and also by the washout of retaining racks at the Afognak station 

 during the spawning season. 



Opeiiations of Federal and Private Hatcheries in Alaska in 1920. 



Station. 



McDonald Lake. 

 Afognak Lake... 



Fortmann 



Quadra 



TotaL 



Red or 



sockeyo 



salmon "eggs 



taken In 



1919. 



9,7.')2,000 

 179,178,000 

 IS, 420, 000 

 11,710,000 



119,060,000 



Red or 



sookeyo 



Kalmon 



liberated 



in 1919-20. 



9,387,000 

 61,. '524, (KM) 

 17,070,000 

 11,357,000 



99,338,000 



Red or 



sockeye 



salmon eggs 



taken in 



1920. 



62, .300, 000 

 18,240,000 

 19,4,50,000 



99,990,000 



1 7,000,000 eyed ogfis transferred to the Federal hatchery at Qiiinault, Wash., and 3,000,000 to the State 

 hatchery at IJonneviUe, Oreg. 



