8 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



During the j^ear the AuMet cruised 6,110 miles, i\\e Murre 5,433, 

 the Puffin 1,633 and the Tern 3,300, a total of 16,476 miles. 



The steamer Ospreij was towed from Wrangell to Seattle by the 

 AuMet and sold at auction for S700 on June 29. On the return 

 voyage the AuMet towed the Petrel from Seattle to Wrangell. This 

 latter yessel, formerly the Cobra, was acquired by transfer from the 

 Navy in 1919 and will be made ready for service as soon as funds 

 are available for the purchase of a more economically ojjerated engine 

 than the 350-horsepower Duesenberg motor with which it is now 

 equipped. 



Vessels of the United States Coast Guard gave considerable atten- 

 tion to the fisheries industry, particularly the cod fishery in the region 

 of the Aleutian Islands, which was incidental to the seal patrol, and 

 by the stationing of the cutter Bothwell in southeastern Alaska during 

 the active fishing season. The following report has been received 

 from the Coast Guard in connection with the patrol of the Bothwell: 



On August 9, 1921, the Coast Guard cutter Bothwell completed a cruise covering 

 the principal salmon fishing area of southeast Alaska, and interviews with repre- 

 sentatives of the Bureau of Fisheries, cannery superintendents, and fishermen elicited 

 the follo^ving information: 



(a) The salmon run this season is very much below normal, less than one-thii-d in 

 most localities. 



(6) There are but a limited number of canneries in operation, less than half the 

 number that operated in normal years. 



(c) There are but approximately one-third of the traps being operated that have 

 been open in the past, and these few are being operated largely to hold the trap sites. 



(d) There have been no reports of trap robberies in the jiast 30 days and very few 

 reports during the present season. 



(e) The prices being paid for salmon, and the effort on the part of the canneries to 

 confine the pack as nearly as possible to red salmon, renders the illicit sale of fish very 

 unprofitable, a condition that is furthered by the facts that none of the small can- 

 neries are operating and that the large ones do not purchase fish \vithout the owner- 

 ship being well authenticated. 



(/) It seems to be the general impression that the cannery season will be completed 

 by the latter part of August. 



(g) Reports from purchasing agents and fishermen indicate that conditions in the 

 deep-sea fisheries are normal. 



(h) There have been no reports of labor disturbances in the fishing industries. 



It appears that the principal disturbance in the past few years has been due to a 

 systematic robbing of the salmon traps. These traps are, for the most part, located 

 in distant localities and are guarded by watchmen who live on the traps. It seems 

 reasonable to assume that the traps can not, therefore, be robbed without the knowl- 

 edge of the watchmen, and in most cases it has apjjeared that the robberies were 

 made with the connivance of the latter. Some cases, however, have appeared in 

 which the watchmen were intimidated with firearms. Under the latter condition it 

 would be necessary to apprehend the robbers in tlie act, as the boats are disguised 

 and there appears to be no method of identifying fish except by experts. Under the 

 conditions in which the watchman is a jjarty to the crime there appears to be no 

 solution. Trapped fish can be easily identified in contradistinction to fish caught 

 by other methods, however, and the restriction of the purchase of trapped fish in the 

 open market is suggested. 



From a general survey of the situation and the reports so far received, it appears 

 that there >\ill be no need for a patrol of these waters in reference to fisheries after the 

 month of August. 



ALASKA FISHERY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE. 



The triweekly dissemination of telegraphic information regarding 

 the price of certain fresh and pickled fisli to the important fishery 

 centers of southeast and central Alaska was continued oy cooperation 

 of the Alaska Military Telegraph & Cable System. The purpose of 



