1094 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Observations diirino; tlie first season were confined mainly to the 

 seaward mig-ration of fingerlings. A more intensive study of the 

 young fish was undertaken in 1929 by Mr. Holmes, assisted by a 

 temporary assistant, and had for its purpose the tracing of the 

 growth of the fish from the time they emerge from tlie gravel of the 

 f^pawning grounds until they migrate to the ocean. 



Bristol Bay investigatioiis. — Bristol Bay comprises one of the most 

 important red-salmon producing areas in Alaska. The annual pack 

 averages approximately a million cases valued at about $10,000,000. 

 The study of the salmon runs here was interrupted by the death of 

 tlie late Dr. C. H. Gilbert but is now being taken up by A. C. Taft. 

 During the past year a boat-catch analysis of the Nushagak region 

 has been begun. The data were made available through the courtesy 

 of the Alaska Packers Association of San Francisco. From their 

 books it was possible to get data for the individual catch per boat 

 from 1903 to 1928. This work extends and supplements the statis- 

 tical review of the fisheries of Bristol Bay made by Rich and Ball 

 (Document No. 1041). From a preliminary study it appears that 

 there is a very high correlation between the catch per boat per 

 season and the total catch per season. It would thus appear that, 

 for the Nushagak region, the total catch provides an entirely ade- 

 quate measure of the abundance of fish from year to year. The 

 study of numerous scale samples from Bristol Bay has also been 

 started as a basis for a detailed investigation of the age-group 

 composition of the runs in the several districts. 



Copper River red salmon. — A comprehensive investigation of the 

 Copper River red salmon was undertaken by Seton H. Thompson 

 in the season of 1929. These fish formerly provided an important 

 element in the salmon resources of Alaska but in recent years have 

 shown signs of serious depletion. Scales were taken from a sample 

 of the commercial catch each day during most of the season. In 

 the latter part of August and in September, observations were made 

 on the more accessible spawning grounds. 



Pink salmon investigations. — In view of the growing demands of 

 the commercial fishery upon the pink salmon of Alaska, an investi- 

 gation for the purpose of studying their life history and the causal 

 factors underlying the fluctuations in their abundance was started in 

 the summer of 1929 by Dr. F. A. Davidson. The point considered 

 most pressing for early settlement was whether or not the " parent- 

 stream theory " applies to the pink salmon, as the relative strength 

 of the homing instinct will influence the drafting of protective regu- 

 lations to insure abundance in the future. 



The field work began in July and was confined to the territory 

 of southeastern Alaska, this district being chosen on account of the 

 extensive pink-salmon fishery it su])ports. Samples of the pink- 

 salmon populatioas of 12 important streams, located in the various 

 fishing districts, were taken for the purpose of ascertaining the pos- 

 sibilities of making a racial analysis of their populations. 



Forty-six pink-salmon streams located in the various fishing dis- 

 tricts in southeastern Alaska were visited and data collected on the 

 physical and cliemical characteristics of the stream and on the 

 spawning* populations. 



