BUREAU OF FISHEEIES XIII 



In 1929, 12 statutory and 216 temporary employees were engaged 

 in the patrol of the fishing grounds in addition to the crews of 14 

 vessels belonging to the bureau and 10 chartered vessels. Many of the 

 temporary employees provided their own launches. An airplane 

 was used experimentally for the first time in connection with the 

 fisheries patrol in southeastern Alaska, and the advantages of air- 

 craft as an auxiliary patrol were demonstrated. 



During the active salmon-fishing season the Commissioner of Fish- 

 eries spent several weeks in Alaska, including a ^^sit to the Pribilof 

 Islands, keeping in close touch with all important matters pertaining 

 to the fisheries industrs'. Modifications of existing regulations were 

 made on his recommendation from time to time as the season advanced. 

 On December 19, 1929, revised regulations to be effective in the 

 following calendar year wore issued. 



ALASKA SALMON HATCHERIES 



At the Government hatcheries at Afognak and on McDonald Lake 

 38,095,120 red-salmon eggs, 2,650,000 pink-sahnon eggs, and 150,000 

 steelhead-trout eggs were collected in 1929. From these collections, 

 shipments of 4,553,200 red-salmon eggs and 1,021,000 pink-salmon 

 eggs in the eyed stage were forwarded to Seattle in October. At 

 the privately owned hatchery operated under the provisions of the 

 Alaska fisheries act of June 26, 1906, 11,760,000 red-salmon eggs were 

 collected. 



SPECIAL STUDIES AND INVESTIGATIONS 



An important factor in the conservation of the fisheries is the secur- 

 ing of scientific knowledge of the life history and habits of the various 

 species. This work was continued in Alaska during 1929. A detailed 

 discussion of the various activities will be given later in this report. 



Weirs for counting the numbers of salmon ascending to the spawn- 

 ing grounds were maintained in 20 typical salmon streams, of which 

 6 were in southeast. 12 in central, and 2 in western Alaska. Through 

 the operation of such weirs the ratio of esca])e to catch is established 

 and valuable information is acquired as to the probable return from 

 a known escapement. Observations of the condition of the spawning 

 grounds were made in all districts. 



PRODUCTS OF THE FISHERIES 



In 1929 salmon products, which comprise upward of SO per cent in 

 \ alue of the Alaska fisher>^ jiroducts, amounted to 272,244,435 pounds 

 \ alued at $42,524,845. This is somewhat less than the output for the 

 j)receding year when 308,691,203 pounds of salmon products valued 

 at $47,487,763 were prepared; l)ut it comi)ares favorably with the 

 average of approximately 265,570,000 pounds, valued at $39,312,586, 

 for the 5-year period from 1924 to 1928, inclusive. About 95 per cent 

 of the salmon products in 1929 consisted of canned salmon, the ])ack 

 jimounting to 5,370,159 cases valued at $40,469,385. 



The (quantity of herring products exceeded that of any preceding 

 year except 1925, but a large percentage consisted of meal and oil 

 because of the unusually small size of the fish taken. The value of the 

 lierring products was the lowest since 1924. There was a considerable 

 increase over the previous year in the amount and value of the halibut 



