150 ALASKA -FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919. 



of the increased pack should become apparent, indicates that these 

 rivers had not been fished to their full capacity prior to 1911 and 1912. 

 It seems clear that more than 9,500,000 fish could be spared from the 

 spawning beds without imperiling the run. But it does not indicate 

 that the new level of production is a safe one, and can be maintained 

 indefinitely. What could be safely spared in excess of 9,500,000 fish 

 may have been taken, and a considerable number in addition. The 

 new level has not been arrived at through any reasonable process. 

 There was no knowledge of the situation which warranted such in- 

 crease with any assurance it would not be fatal to the future runs. 

 No precautions whatever were taken in the matter. Everything 

 was haphazard, in accordance with the customary policy. All the 

 fish which could be caught were taken without any heed to the future. 

 It was known that it was impossible to catch them all, and it was 

 vaguely hoped — if the matter was given thought at all — that, what- 

 ever be done, enough would escape to keep the run going. Fishing 

 was conducted without limitations of any kind. The amount oi 

 gear was limited only by what could be profitably employed. Fish- 

 ing was permitted in aU the rivers as well as in the open bay. There 

 was no close season to afford needed protection. Such has been and 

 still is the policy. If a new method of fishing could now be applied 

 which would make it possible to capture 20,000,000 fish from the 

 Kvichak, the 20,000,000 fish would be cheerfully captured annually 

 for five years until returns would be had in the next cycle of years, 

 and then the damage would be appraised. 



Fear that the danger point may have been reached on the Kvichak- 

 Naknek is based on the fact that all efforts that have been made to 

 increase the yield during the last seven years have been without 

 result. Fully one-third more gear has been used in subsequent years 

 than was used in 1912, and the only result has been to divide the 

 fish more finely among a larger number of fishermen. Each net aver- 

 ages for the season a smaller number of fish, and the grand total is 

 not increased. Such a result always indicates dangerous ground. 

 It usually means that the use of increased quantities of gear is neces- 

 sary in order to maintain the pack at the high level which it has once 

 reached. In most cases a reduction to the earlier number of gill nets 

 would entail a marked decline in the pack, showing that the total 

 run of fish has suffered a reduction. Do the packers in the Kvichak- 

 Naknek district believe that they could reduce their boats and nets 

 to the numbers employed in 1912 and still continue to catch 14,000,- 

 000 or 15,000,000 red salmon in a season ? If they maintain that they 

 could do so, it seems strange indeed that they continue to incur this 

 enormous additional expense each year in the certainty that it brings 

 no returns. If the present number of nets is, on the contrary, essen- 

 tial, it means that each year there is a closer and closer gleaning from 

 the spawning run in order to maintain the pack, and it means, further- 

 more, that the spawning run is already so greatly reduced that with the 

 utmost efforts no considerable contribution can be secured from it. 



This must be considered a dangerous situation, v/hich can not 

 continue without finally producing a greatly diminished run of fish 

 to these rivers. It is not known what is the least number of spawn- 

 ing fish which will keep up a run to full size in any district, but such 

 a minimum would vary widely in different years. Some seasons are 

 far less favorable than others, both on the spawning beds in the lakes, 



