ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES 99 



SALMON 



Although the runs of salmon m Alaska as a whole were lighter in 

 1937 than in the previous year, they were better than average, par- 

 ticularly for an odd year, and the catch was the third highest on 

 record, havmg been surpassed only in 1936 and 1934. The catch of 

 pink salmon showed a marked decline in southeast and western 

 Alaska, but was the largest ever obtained in the central district, 

 chiefly as a result of very heavy runs in the Kodiak and Ikatan- 

 Shumagin areas, which more than offset the decrease in Prince 

 William Sound. It should be noted, however, that the individual 

 fish were of smaller size than in 1936, and whereas there was a sub- 

 stantial gain in the number of pinks taken, the pack for the central 

 district was somewhat less than that of the previous year. The runs 

 of red salmon were good in southeast and western Alaska and light in 

 most parts of central Alaska. The catch of cohos was below average, 

 that of chums was fair, and the catch of king salmon was the largest 

 ever taken in Alaska. 



The total catch of salmon decreased about 16 percent from that 

 for 1936. By districts, the decrease was about 29 percent in south- 

 east Alaska, about 3 percent in central, and 4 percent in western 

 Alaska. 



The apparatus operated in Alaska as a whole in 1937 varied but 

 little from that of the previous year, the number of traps remaining 

 the same and the number of fathoms of seines and gill nets showing 

 less than 1 percent difference. 



CATCH AND APPARATUS 



The total nimiber of seines used in the salmon industry in 1937 

 was 995, of which 786 were purse seines and 209 beach seines. The 

 purse seines aggregated 118,826 fathoms of webbing and the beach 

 seines 20,119 fathoms. The number of gill nets used was 4,115, 

 having a total length of 296,011 fathoms. There were 170 driven 

 and 283 floating traps — a total of 453. 



Southeastern Alaska was accredited with 532 seines, or a total of 

 90,576 fathoms, a decrease of 20 seines and 5,509 fathoms of webbing 

 from the number used in 1936; also with 384 gill nets, aggregating 

 24,960 fathoms, an increase of 25 nets but a decrease of 1,370 fathoms 

 of webbing; and with 32 driven and 252 floating traps, an increase of 

 2 driven traps and a decrease of 2 floating traps, as compared with 

 the number operated in 1936. 



Corresponding figures for central Alaska show 455 seines, or 46,169 

 fathoms, as compared with 396 seines, or 41,749 fathoms, in 1936; 

 1,537 gill nets, or 99,570 fathoms, as compared with 1,522 gill nets, or 

 85,690 fathoms, in 1936; and 138 driven and 31 floating traps, as 

 compared with 139 driven and 30 floating traps in 1936. 



In western Alaska 8 seines, or 2,200 fathoms of webbing, were used, 

 an increase of 4 seines and 1,200 fathoms of webbing over the number 

 operated in 1936. There were 2,194 gill nets used, or an aggregate of 

 171,481 fathoms, a decrease of 136 nets and 13,072 fathoms of webbing. 

 No traps were operated in this district. 



Seines caught 28 percent of the salmon taken in 1937, gill nets 24 

 percent, and traps 46 percent, while lines and wheels took the remain- 

 ing 2 percent. 



