FISHERIES OF ALASKA, 1908. 37 



OBSERVATIONS IN WOOD RIVER. 

 CLOSING OF STREAMS TO COMMERCIAL FISHING. 



In accordance with the order of the Secretary of Commerce and 

 Labor, dated December 19, 1907, Nushagak and Wood rivers, in 

 western Alaska, were closed to commercial fishing. The order was 

 as follows: 



To whom it viay concern: 



A hearing having been given at the Department of Commerce and Labor, beginning 

 December 16, 1907, at which all persons interested in the closing or nonclosing of 

 Wood and Nushagak rivers, Alaska, for fishing purposes were fully heard, due notice 

 of which was given according to law, by virtue of the authority vested in me by sec- 

 tion 6 of " An act for the protection and regulation of the fisheries of Alaska," approved 

 June 26, 1906, it is hereby ordered that until further notice Wood River, a tributary 

 of Nushagak Bay, in the district of Alaska, and the region within 500 yards of the 

 mouth of said Wood River be closed to all commercial fishing, and that all commercial 

 fishing be prohibited in Nushagak River proper. 



This order becomes effective January 1, 1908. 



Oscar S. Straus, 



Secretary. 



The salmon agent spent the fishing season in the Nushagak and 

 Wood River region for the purpose of enforcing the above order and 

 to pursue the investigations in Wood River detailed below. The 

 boundaries of legal fishing at the mouth of Nushagak River and 500 

 yards from the mouth of Wood River, as defiiied by the order, were 

 fixed by surveyors and marked by four large white signs. On each 

 sign a notice of the prohibition was painted in large black letters. By 

 these signs at the mouths of the rivers and by posting copies of the 

 • order in appropriate places about all canneries in the region, knowl- 

 edge of the order was thoroughly promulgated among all concerned. 



The enforcement of the order during the fishing season proved a 

 comparatively simple matter. The large run of salmon tended to 

 minimize the temptation to fish in the two rivers, since the fisliing was 

 good in the bay, and there w^ere practically no violations. For a large 

 part of the season many boats were on limit, and the daily quota could 

 readily be obtained, the canneries working to their full capacit}^ 

 Eight canneries were operated on Nushagak Bay and one just above 

 the mouth of Wood River. All of them filled practically all the tin on 

 hand, securing a full pack. In 1907 there were 6 traps in the bay and 

 6 in Wood River. In 1908 all traps had to be left out of Wood River, 

 but the number in the bay was increased toll, wliich represents the 

 total for the region, none having been used in Nushagak River in 

 recent years. Some of the newly located traps were in a very strong 

 tideway where they could with difficulty be maintained at all. Few 

 fish were taken from these, but the traps better located fished well, 

 and some of them w^ere frequently emptied of salmon, since with the 



