42 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



SPECIAL STUDIES AND INVESTIGATIONS. 



In the season of 1921 a rack was installed in Karliik River and the 

 coiintin<; of red salmon passin*]:: throup;h to the spawning grounds 

 above was inaugurated. This work is being carried on again in 

 1J)22, and a similar experiment has })een undertaken in the Chignik 

 River. The data to be thus secured over a series of j'ears in these 

 streauis will lielj) to solve problems of great importance to the salmon 

 industry of Alaska, chief among which are the ratio between catch 

 and escapement that will safely maintain the run and the production 

 of salmon under natural conditions from a know^n escapement. 



An investigation of fishery conditions in the Alaska Peninsula 

 Fisheries Reservation was undertaken in the spring of 1922 by a 

 party under the direction of Dr. C. H. Gilbert, of Stanford Uni- 

 versity. Statistics of the runs of salmon w^ill be secured, and general 

 study and observation of spawning escapement and operations of the 

 companies will be made as a basis for recommendations covering 

 operations in succeeding years. 



Statistics of the catch of salmon are also being collected by regular 

 employees on all the chief fishing grounds in Alaska in order to 

 afford more accurate data for the conservation of the industry. 



The destruction of predatory fishes was carried on in 1921 by an 

 expedition to Bristol Bay region during the early part of the season, 

 after which attention was directed to patrol of the fishing grounds, 

 and later a survey was made of spawning grounds. Similar work 

 is being done in the season of 1922. 



PROTECTTON OF WALRUS AND SEA LIONS. 



No changes were made durino; the year in the walrus and sea-lion 

 regulations issued April 21, 1921, nor were any violations reported. 



NEW' LEGISLATION NEEDED. 



It has been realized for a number of years that a revision of the 

 act of June 26, 1900, covering the fisheries of Alaska, was urgently 

 necessary. Year after year efforts have been made to secure legisla- 

 tion that would be adequate to meet the new conditions that have 

 developed and enable the department to exercise a proper control 

 over the industry. The present law also refers wholly to the salmon 

 fishery, with practically no application to the important industries 

 that have grown up in the halibut, herring, cod, whale, shrimp, crab, 

 and clam fisheries. 



Under the authority granted to the Secretary of Commerce by the 

 act of June 2G, 1906, commercial fishing has been prohibited in prac- 

 ticallv all of the waters of Alaska over which the department has 

 jurisdiction. It is unfortunate, however, that jurisdiction extends 

 only over a zone 500 yards off the mouth of salmon streams, for 

 outside of these waters with modern fishing appliances salmon can 

 be taken with impunity, and practically without any control by the 

 department's representatives, in such a manner as to catch far more 

 than a safe proportion of the run. The results have been the steady 

 and cumulative depletion of the finest fishing localities in Alaska, 



