ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919. 



By Ward T. Bower, Agent, Alaska Service. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The activities of the Bureau in Alaska, administered through the 

 Alaska service, paralleled in large degree operations of previous 

 years. There were some notable expansions, however, along certain 

 lines of the work. In this connection mention may be made of the 

 additional attention given to patrol of the fishing grounds for the 

 purpose of enforcing the laws and regulations. Through the detail 

 of certain vessels, the Navy Department cooperated and aided 

 materially in this phase of the work. The number of stream watch- 

 men to enforce the fishery laws at certain important centers was 

 augmented. The success attending this line of work in 1918 war- 

 ranted its expansion and further application in 1919. 



Another phase of the work was the collection and compilation in 

 systematic form of detailed statistics of the various fisheries of 

 Alaska. The annual census of salmon ascending Wood River for 

 spawning was taken. A special investigation of the salmon fishery 

 in central and western Alaska and one of various problems in 

 connection with the Copper River fishery were made. Following 

 hearings held by the Bureau at Seattle in November, 1919, salmon- 

 fishing operations were made subject to an order issued by the 

 Secretary of Commerce under date of December 23, 1919, applica- 

 ble to most of the salmon streams in Alaska. 



The work of indicating by means of markers the areas within which 

 commercial fishing operations are limited or prohibited received 

 considerable attention in 1919. A few markers had been put in 

 place in previous years, but recent departmental orders have in- 

 creased greatly the number of localities in which fishing operations 

 are limited or prohibited; this means that much additional work in 

 marking stream mouths must be undertaken as soon as possible. 



Inspections of the private hatcheries operated in accordance with 

 the act of June 26, 1906, were made. Hatchery operations under 

 the division of fish culture were carried on at the two principal 

 stations of the Bureau located at Afognak and McDonald Lake, the 

 latter formerly having been designated as the Yes Bay station. 



The scope and magnitude of the w^ork in connection with the fur- 

 seal fisheries was in keeping with that of 1918 when regular commer- 

 cial sealing operations on a considerable scale were resumed. The 

 take of fur-seal skins at the Pribilof Islands in 1919 aggregated 

 27,821 pelts, having an estimated value of about $2,000,000. A 

 census of the fur-seal herd was made and a special investigation 

 was conducted with a view to developing, if possible, improved 



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