APPENDIX III APPENDIX III 
Marketing potential 
According to an industry and a Washington State Fishery 
official, the salmon market has been strong and is expected 
to continue. The fishery has demonstrated its ability to 
market unexpectedly large catches which have occurred periodi- 
Cadi. 
OBSTACLES INHIBITING GROWTH AND 
DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERY 
Resource availability 
An independent analysis of Alaska's salmon fishery pre- 
pared for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in 1975 
showed that the causes for the overall decline in salmon 
abundance vary from one area to another. Some of the major 
reasons given for the decline are: overfishing, management, 
habitat degeneration, adverse climatic conditions, and for- 
eign fishing. 
One of the most important causes in the decline of 
salmon is that too many fish have been caught. When this oc- 
curs, it does not allow sufficient numbers of fish to escape 
for spawning. Salmon resources are difficult to manage ef- 
fectively, especially in Alaska with a multitude of salmon 
streams and small human population. 
Habitat degeneration covers many human actions and natu- 
ral occurrences that result in losses to the habitat needed 
by the salmon. The more frequently identified causes of habi- 
tat loss or damage are: hydroelectric projects, logging, min- 
ing, wind storms, floods, earthquakes, and sand and gravel 
removal. These problems among others will hinder future 
salmon resource availability. 
Adverse weather conditions can also cause declines in 
the salmon resource. The most common conditions that cause 
loss of eggs or increased mortality among salmon fry are ex- 
tremely low temperatures, reduction of water supply due to 
unusual freezing, and silt or washout resulting from flood 
conditions. The poor runs of adult salmon in Alaska in 1973, 
1974, and 1975 are believed to have been in part due to the 
unusually cold winters in the early 1970s. Severe winters 
and changes in sea-surface temperatures could have an accumu- 
lative effect upon future Alaska salmon populations. 
According to the Alaska salmon study, Japanese high seas 
fishing has not been an important factor in the overall de- 
cline of Pacific Northwest salmon. The report indicated that 
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