88 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Summary of investment, persons engaged, and products of the Alaska fisheries 



in ii*25— Continued 



' These figures represent the value of the manufactured product. It is estimated that the value of the 

 catch to the fishermen was approximately .$10,700,000. The round weight of the salmi)n catch landed by 

 the fishermen was approximately 390,460,000 pounds, and the corresponding figures for herring were 

 approximately 69,000,000 pounds. The statistics of the cod fishery include 4,667,809 pounds of dry-salted 

 cod, valued at $.307,377, and 9,000 pounds of tongues, valued at $450, taken in waters adjacent to Alaska 

 and landed in the Pacific Coast States, as well as the personnel and investment concerned iu the produc- 

 tion thereof, amounting to approximately 354 persons and $523,337, respectively 



SALMON INDUSTRY 



The most striking feature of the sahiion industry of Ahaska in 

 1923 was the great increase (approximately 51 per cent) in the 

 number of sahnon, chiefly humpbacks, captured in the southeastern 

 district. A considerable decrease occurred in both the central and 

 western districts, where the red salmon is the most important species. 

 The catch in central Alaska declined approximately 32 per cent, 

 due chiefly to the practical failure of the runs at Chignik and in 

 Cook Inlet. The catch of salmon in western Alaska was about 22 

 per cent smaller than in the preceding year, this being attributable 

 in part, at least, to necessary restrictions placed on operations in 

 the Southwestern Alaska Fisheries Reservation for the first time 

 during 1923. 



SALMON CATCH AND APPARATUS 



The total numl)er of seines used in the salmon industry of Alaska 

 in 1923 was 510, of which 173 were beach seines and 337 were purse 

 seines. The beach seines aggregated 24,756 fathoms of webbing 

 and the purse seines 54,377 fathoms. The number of gill nets used 

 in salmon fishing in Alaska was 3,473, liaA'ing a total length of 

 353,463 fathoms. There were 282 driven traps and 160 floating 

 traps, or a total of 442, operated in the salmon industry of Alaska 

 in 1923. 



Southeast Ala.ska is credited with 365 seines or a total of 52,417 

 fathoms of webbing, an increase of 57 seines, or 4,037 fathoms over 

 the number used in 1922; also with 232 gill nets aggregating 19,166 

 fathoms of web, a reduction of 38 nets, or 9,609 fathoms less than 

 the quantity used in the previous season; and with 171 driven and 

 153 floating traps, an increase of 33 and 42, respectively, over the 

 number operated in 1922. 



Corresponding figures for central Alaska show 130 seines, or 

 25,841 fathoms, as compared with 119 seines and 17,525 fathoms in 



I 



