ALASK.\ FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1935 26 



SALMON 



The stringent curtailment of commercial fishing in the Bristol Bay 

 region, for the purpose of building up weak runs of red salmon recur- 

 rent in the years divisible by 5, resulted in a small catch of all species 

 in the western district in the 1935 season. 



Ked-salmon runs were light also at Port MoUer and Herendeen 

 Bay and in parts of central ^ilaska, notably the Ikatan-Shumagin 

 region and Chignik. The output was also affected by prolonged price 

 disagreements between packers and fishermen and cannery workers 

 in the Copper River section, during wliich fishing operations were 

 suspended. The total catch of red salmon in 1935 was less than one- 

 third that of the preceding year, but it did not drop far below the 

 catch for the comparable cyclical year 1930, notwithstanding the 

 greater restrictions in the later year. 



The number of pink salmon taken, although well above the average, 

 was considerably less than the record catch of the preceding year. 

 The individual fish, however, were of remarkably large size in many 

 districts, so that the decrease from 1934 in the amount of products 

 was not proportionate to the decrease in catch. 



Commercial catches of the three less abundant species of salmon in 

 Alaska in 1935 compared favorably with the average for recent years. 

 Both chums and kings showed increases over 1934, while there was a 

 decrease in the catch of cohos. 



The total catch of salmon decreased 37 percent from that for 1934. 

 By districts, the decrease w^as 31 percent in southeast Alaska, 17 per- 

 cent in central, and 81 percent in western Alaska. 



There was an increase of about 47 percent for the whole of Alaska in 

 the number of fathoms of seines used, while the number of fathoms 

 of gill nets decreased 40 percent and the number of traps about 3 per- 

 cent, as compared with those in operation in 1934. 



CATCH AND APPARATUS 



The total number of seines used in the salmon industry in 1935 was 

 974, of which 780 were purse seines and 194 beach seines. The purse 

 seines aggregated 114,300 fathoms of webbing, and the beach seines 

 18,452 fathoms. The number of gill nets used was 2,396, having a 

 total length of 140,363 fathoms. There were 164 driven and 283 

 floating traps — a total of 447. 



Southeastern Alaska was accredited with 569 seines, or a total of 

 89,440 fathoms, an increase of 223 seines and 31,750 fathoms of web- 

 bing over the number used in 1934 ; also with 359 gill nets, aggregating 

 28,425 fathoms, an increase of 55 nets and 7,410 fathoms of webbing; 

 and with 30 driven and 250 floatmg traps, an increase of 2 driven 

 traps, but a decrease of 12 floating traps, as compared with the number 

 operated in 1934. 



Correspondmg figures for central Alaska show 397 seines, or 41,412 

 fathoms, as compared with 281 seines, or 30,753 fathoms, in 1934; 

 993 gill nets, or 67,676 fathoms, as compared with 984 gill nets, or 

 52,815 fathoms, in 1934; and 134 driven and 33 floating traps, as com- 

 pared with 134 driven and 35 floating traps in 1934. 



In western Alaska, 8 seines, or 1,900 fathoms of webbing, were used, 

 an mcrease of 2 seines and 220 fathoms of webbing, as compared with 

 the figures for 1934. There were 1,044 gill nets used, or an aggregate 

 of 44,262 fathoms, a decrease of 1,332 nets and 116,364 fathoms of 

 webbing. No traps were operated in this district. 



