FISHERIES OF ALASKA IN 1910. 27 



taken at Karluk in 1909, several were reported, the exact numbei 

 being unknown. The one of which account has been taken is based 

 upon examination of a preserved specimen. The few taken at Kar- 

 luk are the only specimens known to have returned outside of south- 

 east Alaska. 



The relation of the return to the parent stream and adjoining streams 

 of southeast Alaska, in which most of the marked fish were retaken, 

 is of importance. Excluding the uncertain return to Yes Bay in 1906, 

 over half the returning fish succeeded in reaching the parent stream, 

 and even with these Yes Bay fish included, a considerable proportion 

 still belongs to the parent stream, while by far the larger part of the 

 known return is confined to the region within 40 miles of the parent 

 stream. It is obviously indicated that red salmon return to the gen- 

 eral region in which they were hatched, rather than to remote regions, 

 and that a considerable number reach the particular region of their 

 origin, or their parent stream. 



The return from the original plant of marked fish has now covered 

 five successive seasons, indicating a variation of at least five years in 

 the life period of a single hatch of red salmon. The known return 

 had been diminishing in numbers since 1907 up to the current year, 

 when it considerably increased. This is a somewhat anomalous 

 result, and inconsistent with that gradual dwindling in numbers and 

 disappearance from the runs of fish bearing this mark which was 

 expected to occur. While the acceptance of these fish as conclu- 

 sively indentical with the marked salmon of 1903 depends on the ces- 

 sation of their occurrence within a reasonable time, there is at present 

 no sufficient reason for doubting that they are the same. 



OBSERVATIONS IN WOOD RIVER REGION. 



Mr. H. C. Fassett, inspector of fisheries in Alaska, represented the 

 Bureau in western Alaska, with headquarters on Nushagak Bay, and 

 had charge of the investigations in the Nushagak region. The order 

 closing both Wood and Nushagak Rivers was uniformly observed, and 

 without its restrictive effect a considerable proportion of the reduced 

 quota escaping to the spawning grounds through Wood River would 

 have been taken. Eight fish traps were operated on the bay and two 

 in Igushik River, the latter yielding but few fish. The total take of 

 traps was about 596,000, of which about 29 per cent were red salmon. 

 These traps took 11.2 per cent of the whole catch of the Nushagak 

 region, and 3.9 per cent of the whole red salmon catch. 



The following table shows the total Nushagak catch (including 

 85,000 red salmon from Igushik River) and its content as to the five 

 species of salmon. The red salmon catch is 83.5 per cent of the total 

 number of salmon taken. 



