ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES 81 



the ground in 1936 and having removed the lower branches of the 

 trees on which such markers were nailed, the number of defaced and 

 missing markers that had to be rephiced in 1937 was greatly reduced. 

 In the Kodiak area the anchoring of two buoy kegs 100 yards off 

 the mouth of Karluk River to designate the boundary of the closed 

 waters proved very helpful in preventing fishing in the restricted area. 

 Similar buoys anchored off the mouth of Red River likewise were effec- 

 tive in preventing illegal fishing. The fishermen know that if they 

 are found operating inside the buoy markers they cannot claim it was 

 without their knowledge and intent because of inability to judge their 

 distance by the markers on shore. 



STREAM GUARDS 



The Bureau employed 165 men in 1937 as stream guards, weir oper- 

 ators, and special workmen in connection with law-enforcement duties. 

 Of these, 84 were stationed in southeast Alaska, 53 in central, and 34 

 in western Alaska. Some of the workers were engaged for only a few 

 days, but the average period of employment ranged from 2 to 5 months. 



In southeast Alaska 34 stream watchmen furnished their own 

 launches and were assigned to patrol larger bodies of water or in the 

 vicinity of several streams. 



In central Alaska 10 guards were stationed in the Seward-KataUa 

 district, 9 on Cook Inlet, 23 in the Kodiak-Afognak district, 4 at 

 Chignik, and 7 in the Ikatan-Shumagin district. Nine of these guards, 

 most of whom were in the Seward-KataUa district, furnished their own 

 launches. 



In western Alaska 33 were on Bristol Bay and 1 in the Yukon- 

 Kuskokwim district. 



There were also 8 special employees engaged in scientific work — 2 

 on herring and 6 on salmon investigations, this work being carried on 

 in southeastern and central Alaska. 



In addition, there were 12 statutory employees, 49 men on the 

 Bureau's vessels, and 2 on the chartered boat. 



The foregoing makes a grand total of 236 persons identified with 

 fishery protective work in Alaska in 1937, as compared with 249 in 

 1936. 



VESSEL PATROL 



Fourteen vessels of the Bureau were engaged in the Alaska fisheries 

 patrol in 1937. Of these, the Auklet, Kittiwake, Merganser, Murre, and 

 Widgeon were used in southeast Alaska; the Eider was in the Kodiak 

 area; the Ihis at Chignik; the Red Wing in the Alaska Peninsula area; 

 and the Coot on the Yukon River. 



The Blue Wing assisted in replacing stream markers in the Ketch- 

 ikan district, southeast Alaska, for a short time in the spring, and dur- 

 ing the remainder of the season patrolled Prince William Sound. After 

 being used in herring-tagging operations in southeast Alaska in the 

 spring, the Teal carried on the patrol in Cook Inlet from May to 

 August, inclusive, and participated in the patrol on Prince William 

 Sound during most of the month of September. At the beginning of 

 the year the Crane was in the service of the Post Office Department 

 until February 4, transpprting mail between Sea (lie and Juneau dur- 

 ing the maritime strike. The Crane carried Bureau employees and 



