ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1935 7 



CULTURE OF JAPANESE OYSTERS 



Japanese oysters, first introduced in the Puget Sound region, are 

 now being raised on a commercial scale from California to British 

 Columbia, and recent experiments indicate that the northern range of 

 this industry may soon be extended to Alaska. The first reported 

 planting of Japanese oysters in Alaskan waters was by B. E. Smith of 

 Ketchikan in 1931, when 40 bushels of cull oysters from Puget Sound 

 were distributed in certain bays south of Ketchikan. In the follow- 

 ing 2 years he planted approximately 700,000 Japanese seed oysters, 

 and in 1935 about 1,000,000 seed oysters were planted. The oysters 

 are reported to have made a healthy growth in all instances, and a 

 limited number have been marketed. 



Other smaller plantings of Japanese oysters have been made by 

 Al Weathers near Juneau, and by A. S. Day near Valdez, in central 

 Alaska, and satisfactory results have been reported. 



The expansion of this potential industry beyond the successful 

 experimental stage already reached depends upon the modification of 

 existing laws or the adoption of methods which will permit the grow- 

 ers to maintain title to their crop. 



STREAM IMPROVEMENT 



No special program of stream improvement was carried on in 1935, 

 but wherever possible m connection with their regular patrol duties 

 stream guards removed log jams and other obstructions that blocked 

 the passage of salmon to the spawoiing grounds, and in some places 

 they cut trails through the brush to facilitate examination of the beds 

 at the close of the season. 



The destruction of Dolly Varden trout that feed on salmon eggs 

 and fry was carried on in several localities under special allotments 

 of Government funds arid contributions from local salmon packers. 

 In the Bristol Bay district a bounty of 2% cents was paid, as in previous 

 years, on predatory trout taken by bona fide residents of Alaska, 

 funds for the purpose having been provided by the Territorial Legis- 

 lature and by Bristol Bay packers. These bounties amount to 

 approximately $15,000 annually. In the fall of 1935 an additional 

 fund for Dolly Varden trout control in this district was created by 

 the Works Progress Administration as a relief measure, thus making 

 possible more extended operations throughout the \vinter. Special 

 wardens of the Bureau had charge of counting all the trout that were 

 taken and preparing the necessary vouchers. 



Further work in the control of predatory trout was carried on in the 

 Yakutat and Cook Inlet districts, where contributions of $1,000 and 

 $3,200, respectively, were made by local packers. During the year 

 31,012 Dolly Vardens were destroyed in the Yakutat district and 

 208,799 in the Cook Inlet district. Weir crews in the Kodiak dis- 

 trict operated traps and other gear for the capture of predatory trout 

 and took 70,000 in Red River and 32,100 near the cannery station 

 weir on Olga Bay. 



STREAM MARKING 



New markers defining areas closed to commercial fishing were 

 erected to replace those which had become illegible or damaged, and 

 changes were made in the positions of others to conform with changes 

 made in the regulations with respect to closed areas. 



