ALASKA FISHERY AND FUR-SEAL INDUSTRIES IN 1923^ 



By Ward T. Bower, Field Assistant 



CONTENTS 



Page 



INTROD UCTION . _ 48 



Trip of President Harding to Alaska 48 



Visit of the Commissioner of Fisheries to 



Alaska. .- - ---- 50 



Fishery Industries 50 



Waters closed to commercial fishing 51 



Alaska Peninsula Fisheries Reservation.. 51 

 Southwestern Ahiska Fisheries Reserva- 

 tion - 53 



Bristol Bay district . 54 



Cook Inlet district --- - 56 



Kodiak-Afognak district 60 



Afognak Reservation ._ 64 



Aleutian Islands Reservation. -.. 65 



Annette Island Fishery Reserve 65 



Stream markers - 66 



Stream guards 66 



Fishery patrol --- 66 



Alaska fishery intelligence service 67 



Violations of the fisheries laws and regula- 

 tions 68 



Territorial license tax 70 



Alaska fishery legislation enacted 70 



Water-power projects in Alaska 72 



Tagging of salmon 73 



Salmon for fox feed .- 73 



Bristol Bay district. 74 



General report of season's operations.. 74 



Destruction of predatory fishes 74 



Extent of salmon runs 79 



Patrol 80 



Escapement -- 80 



Recapitulation 81 



Kuskokwim River 82 



Yukon River fishery --- 82 



Alitak salmon count 82 



Chignik salmon count .- 83 



Karluk salmon count -.- 83 



Nelson River salmon count 84 



Hatcheries 84 



E xtent of operations -- 84 



H atchery rebates --- 84 



Hatchery operations 85 



-McDonald Lake -- 85 



Afognak 85 



Heckman Lake (Fortmann) 85 



Hugh Smith Lake (Quadra). 85 



Territorial hatcheries. 86 



General statistics of the fisheries 86 



Salmon industry 88 



Salmon catch and apparatus 88 



Salmon canning 90 



Changes in canneries 90 



New canneries 91 



Canneries not operated 91 



Total canneries operated 92 



Losses and disasters 94 



Statistics 95 



Salmon pack in certain areas 98 



Mild curing of salmon... 99 



Salmon pickling 100 



Fresh salmon 101 



Salmon freezing 101 



Drying and smoking of salmon 101 



Salmon by-products 102 



Page 

 Fishery Industries— Continued. 



Herring fishery 102 



Halibut fishery io4 



Cod fishery 106 



Whale fishery 108 



Clams.. 108 



Shrimps _ 109 



Crabs 109 



Trout... 109 



Miscellaneous fishery products no 



Fur-Seal Industry m 



Pribilof Islands lu 



General administrative work m 



Visit by Japanese Government vessel m 



Purchase and transportation of supplies.. ill 



Power schooner Eider... 112 



Construction work. 112 



Waterworks _ 112 



By-products plant 112 



Natives 113 



C ensus 113 



Health conditions 113 



Schools 114 



.attendance at Salem Indian Training 



School, Chemawa, Greg 114 



Savings accounts 114 



Payments for taking sealskins 115 



Payments for taking fox skins 116 



Fur-seal herd. 116 



Quota for killing 116 



Killings of seals 116 



Age classes of seals iig 



Marking of reserved fur seals 118 



Washing and blubbering sealskins 119 



Census 120 



Specimen seals _ 121 



Shipment of fur seals to Steinhart 



Aquarium 121 



Foxes 121 



Fox-trapping season of 1923-24 121 



Development of fox herdi 121 



Sale of live blue foxes... 122 



Reindeer 122 



Pribilof fur-seal skins 123 



Shipments of commercial skins 123 



Sales of commercial skins 123 



Disposition of fur-seal skins taken on 



Pribilof Islands.. 127 



Pribilof fox skins 128 



Shipment and sales 128 



Fur-seal patrol by United States Coast 



Guard _ 129 



Sealing privileges accorded aborigines 132 



Japanese sealskins delivered to the United 



States 134 



Fur-Seai. Census, Pribilof Islands, 1923.. 135 



Pups 135 



Cows 136 



Harem and idle bulls... 137 



.\ ver age h arem 1 38 



Complete census 138 



> Appendix III to the Report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for 1924. B. F. Doc. 973, 



47 



