ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES, 1911. 



11 



close seasons be permitted to spawn ? The canner in the field will 

 answer, "The late run," for then he can close down his plant and 

 return home. The correct answer awaits the solution. 



The question of relative strength of hatchery fry and natural fry 

 is as yet mere matter of speculation. As in most of these final 

 questions, it will be determined by marking the fish. The sugges- 

 tions regarding the proper planting of fry made in another section 

 of this report answer most of the logical objections that have been 

 advanced. It may ultimately be shown that the economical method 

 of protected propagation is that by burying the eggs in gravel, as 

 recommended by Mr. John Pease Babcock. 



OBSERVATIONS IN WOOD RIVER REGION. 



In the act of 1906 provision was made for the reservation of 

 streams and lakes from fishing for the purpose of allowing salmon 

 to increase in number. At present the only action in effect under 

 this law is the closing of Wood and Nushagak Rivers by order of 

 the Secretary of Commerce and Labor on December 19, 1907. Since 

 this time there has been no fishing in those streams, nor within 500 

 yards of the mouths thereof, except that authorized in 1911 as a 

 scientific test of the run of salmon in the Nushagak River. Although 

 this order has in at least one case put the companies to some in- 

 creased cost in making their packs, their acquiescence has been 

 cheerful and without evasion. This exemplifies the almost uni- 

 versal desire on the part of the salmon packers to observe the laws 

 and regulations established in the interests of the industry. 



The observations carried on since 1908 at Lake Aleknagik were 

 continued during 1911. There was no change in the number of 

 canneries operated in Nushagak Bay or in the apparatus for capture 

 used by them. The dates of the run did not vary from those here- 

 tofore observed. The count at the rack and the catch in Nushagak 

 Bay, exclusive of the Egushik River, are shown in the following 

 table : 



Red Salmon Run in Nushagak Bay and Tributaries, 1908 to 1911. 



It is seen by this table that the run of this species in the Nushagak 

 Bay region has fallen off very materially in the three years since 1908. 

 With this has been a greater proportionate decrease in the escape of 

 spawners; the percentage fell from 30 in 1908 to 11 in 1911. 



