﻿74 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  itably 
  result 
  in 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  numerous 
  young 
  ones, 
  and 
  to 
  take 
  other 
  

   rational 
  steps 
  which 
  are 
  recognized 
  by 
  every 
  informed 
  person 
  as 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  fur 
  bearers. 
  The 
  Depart- 
  

   ment 
  is 
  endeavoring 
  to 
  conserve 
  and 
  extend 
  in 
  every 
  proper 
  way 
  the 
  

   fur 
  industry 
  of 
  Alaska. 
  This 
  apphes 
  both 
  to 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  

   natural 
  wild 
  stock 
  (which 
  must 
  furnish 
  -a, 
  not 
  inconsiderable 
  portion 
  

   of 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  hvehhood 
  to 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  natives 
  of 
  Alaska) 
  and 
  to 
  

   the 
  building 
  up 
  of 
  an 
  additional 
  fur 
  industry 
  through 
  the 
  domestica- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  fur-bearing 
  animals 
  under 
  private 
  auspices. 
  It 
  is 
  hoped 
  that 
  

   a 
  biU 
  drafted 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  and 
  now 
  pending 
  in 
  Congress, 
  which 
  

   meets 
  the 
  existing 
  situation, 
  may 
  speedily 
  be 
  enacted 
  into 
  law. 
  

  

  ALASKA 
  FISHERIES 
  SERVICE. 
  

  

  The 
  Bureau 
  has 
  labored 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  law 
  and 
  regulations 
  for 
  the 
  

   protection 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Alaska 
  to 
  the 
  full 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  faciUties 
  

   provided 
  by 
  Congress. 
  During 
  the 
  fishing 
  season 
  of 
  1913 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  fur 
  wardens 
  and 
  employees 
  in 
  the 
  fish-cultural 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  service 
  

   were 
  detailed 
  to 
  assist 
  in 
  this 
  work. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1913 
  the 
  Bureau 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  utihze 
  for 
  the 
  

   first 
  time 
  a 
  vessel 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  for 
  inspection 
  work. 
  This 
  vessel, 
  the 
  

   Osprey, 
  purchased 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  is 
  a 
  steam 
  craft 
  72 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  

   and 
  carries 
  a 
  crew 
  of 
  six 
  men. 
  During 
  th? 
  winter 
  of 
  1912-13 
  it 
  was 
  

   kept 
  at 
  Semiahmoo, 
  Wash., 
  but 
  in 
  July, 
  1913, 
  it 
  was 
  put 
  in 
  com- 
  

   mission 
  and 
  at 
  once 
  proceeded 
  to 
  Alaska 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  in 
  con- 
  

   tinuous 
  service 
  since. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  most 
  extensive 
  salmon 
  fishing 
  operations 
  in 
  

   southeast 
  Alaska, 
  a 
  special 
  patrol 
  was 
  maintained 
  for 
  securing 
  

   enforcement 
  of 
  the 
  law 
  and 
  regulations. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  Osprey, 
  

   there 
  were 
  employed 
  on 
  this 
  patrol 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  private 
  power 
  boats 
  

   chartered 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau 
  for 
  short 
  periods, 
  and 
  a 
  launch 
  attached 
  to 
  

   the 
  Yes 
  Bay 
  hatchery 
  rendered 
  service 
  in 
  waters 
  adjacent 
  to 
  that 
  

   station. 
  Arrangements 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  continue 
  this 
  patrol 
  work 
  

   under 
  similar 
  fines 
  in 
  1914. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  long 
  coast 
  

   fine 
  of 
  Alaska 
  on 
  wliich 
  even 
  an 
  approximat?ly 
  satisfactory 
  enforce- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  law 
  is 
  possible. 
  

  

  The 
  usual 
  census 
  of 
  red 
  salmon 
  ascending 
  Wood 
  River 
  was 
  taken 
  

   in 
  1913, 
  and 
  indicated 
  an 
  increase 
  in 
  the 
  run 
  amounting 
  to 
  100 
  per 
  

   cent 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  1912. 
  The 
  figures, 
  however, 
  are 
  not 
  con- 
  

   clusive, 
  and 
  should 
  b? 
  supplemented 
  by 
  observations 
  for 
  later 
  years. 
  

   Arrangements 
  were 
  made 
  for 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  this 
  census 
  in 
  1914, 
  

   but 
  delay 
  in 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  the 
  appropriation 
  bill 
  and 
  lack 
  of 
  authority 
  

   to 
  incur 
  liabiUties 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  appropriation 
  caused 
  the 
  aban- 
  

   donment 
  of 
  the 
  work, 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  regret 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  April, 
  1913, 
  there 
  was 
  b?gun 
  under 
  the 
  Joint 
  

   auspices 
  of 
  the 
  Bureau 
  of 
  Fisheries 
  and 
  the 
  Association 
  of 
  Audubon 
  

   Societies 
  a 
  biological 
  survey 
  of 
  Forrester 
  Island, 
  wliich 
  h3s 
  off 
  the 
  

   coast 
  of 
  Alaska 
  near 
  the 
  southern 
  boundary 
  of 
  the 
  Territory. 
  The 
  

   investigation 
  was 
  in 
  charge 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Harold 
  Heath, 
  and 
  was 
  continued 
  

   until 
  August 
  15. 
  Forrester 
  Island 
  is 
  a 
  Governm 
  -nt 
  reservation 
  under 
  

   the 
  control 
  of 
  the 
  Forest 
  Ssrvic?, 
  \vith 
  a 
  warden 
  detailed 
  from 
  the 
  

   Biological 
  Survey. 
  The 
  warden 
  has 
  power 
  to 
  issue 
  or 
  refuse 
  fishing 
  

   permits, 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  fishing 
  regulations, 
  and 
  to 
  rid 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  

   objectionable 
  characters. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  permits 
  last 
  season 
  was 
  

  

  