SALMON FISHERIES OF PACIFIC COAST. 



115 



ALASKA. 



Owing to 



The season of 1909 was a very quiet one in Alaska 

 the expected quadrennial heavy run of sockeye salmon on Puget 

 Sound, several cannery men who operate there and in Alaska shut 

 down their Alaska plants and devoted all their energies to the Sound, 

 which materially reduced the amount of fishing gear used in Alaska, 

 and as a consequence the total quantity of products produced. Tn 

 western Alaska the ice hampered operations in the early part of the 

 season, but, with the exception of the Ugashik and Ugaguk Rivers, 

 the runs were fairly good. The weather was very severe on Nus- 

 hagak Bay and as a result eight fishermen lost their lives there by 

 drowning. In Central Alaska the run of salmon in the neighbor- 

 hood of Karluk fell off very materially as compared with 1908, but 

 in Chignik the usual good run appeared. In southeast Alaska, 

 except in the lower portion, the run was very good, but the cannery 

 men packed no more of the cheaper grades than they felt could be 

 disposed of at the then unremunerative prices prevailing. 



Persons engaged. — The total number of persons engaged in the 

 Alaska salmon fisheries was 11,433. Western Alaska leads in the 

 total number, followed by southeast and central Alaska in the order 

 named. A large- number of Indians are employed in this industry". 



Persons Engaged in the Alaska Salmon Fisheries in 1909. 



