24 REPORT OF ALASKA INVESTIGATIONS. 



settlements along the shore of the many miles of this river, it might create undue hardship to totally 

 prohibit this method of fishing, and it would therefore seem proper to permit their capture for domestic 

 purposes, but no exportation should be allowed in any form, irrespective of whether fresh, smoked, mild- 

 cured, canned, or otherwise prepared. And, furthermore, there should be no method of fishing allowed 

 in this stream other than by hook and line or by hand dip nets. 



MARKERS AT STREAM MOUTHS. 



For years there has been controversy in Alaska as to what constitutes the mouth of a river. On 

 account of varying conditions, it is rather difficult to apply any general rule as to where the mouth of a 

 stream begins. A recent court decision specifying that stream mouths in Alaska must be fixed at low- 

 water mark seems to afford a good basis upon which to work. It is evident, however, that some definite 

 action must be taken in the near future in the way of monuments or markers to define and locate exactly 

 the mouth of each stream. This is necessary in order that fishing may be regulated properly. In some 

 instances these monuments at low tide might be a considerable distance from the main channel of the stream. 

 But during flood stages of the tide there ar in such cases extended areas of shallow, water, and it is perhaps 

 only natural for a fisherman to operate therein when no definite evidence exists as to what is considered 

 to be the mouth of the stream. The solution is to place monuments or markers at low water and thus 

 insure the protection of salmon as they loiter about the stream mouths before ascending to spawn. This 

 should be done jointly by officers of the Bureau of Fisheries and the Coast and Geodetic Survey. There 

 should be heavy penalties for the removal of defacement of such monuments or markers. 



CLOSE SEASON DISTRICTS. 



That there should be a definite closing date for salmon fishing in Alaska seems necessary, as the end 

 of the season is a trouble maker to the cannery men and a drain on the supply from which the canning 

 interests would no doubt be glad to have relief. The tendency this year, particularly in southeast Alaska, 

 was to continue operations until the very last and take every fish that could possibly be caught in order to 

 fill a few remaining cans. It is well known that toward the end of the season the deterioration of the 

 Pacific salmons incident to the spawning function makes them quite inferior for canning purposes. 



After much consideration of this matter, taking into account the opinions of fishermen, cannery 

 men, and other men of experience, it seems proper to stop all salmon fishing in Alaska as follows: 



August 20: Juneau district, embracing all the waters north of 57 north latitude, or north of a line 

 approximately through the town of Kake, at the north end of Kupreanof Island, and south of Sitka, on 

 Baranof Island, and east of Cape Spencer. 



September 1: Wrangell district, embracing all the waters in southeastern Alaska between 56 north 

 latitude and 57 ° north latitude, or with a southern boundary line approximately from Yes Bay hatchery 

 westward to Cape Decision. 



September 10: Ketchikan district, embracing all the waters in southeastern Alaska from 56 north 

 latitude south to the international boundary line at 54' 40" north latitude. 



August 10: Stop all salmon fishing in Alaska west of Cape Spencer, except Kodiak Island, where 

 the closing date should be August 25. 



It was clearly shown to me a number of times during the past summer that the canneries have oper- 

 ated too late in the season. In a certain section in central Alaska, where three canneries operated in the 

 same vicinity and where there was a scarcity of fish, the canneries cooperated by alternating in canning 

 the day's catch. Even then they had hardly enough to keep moderately busy, and the result was that 

 in an effort to make a full pack many of the salmon they used were spent. Although these fish were 

 fresh from the traps and had been out of the water only a few hours, they were quite inferior for food 

 purposes on account of having spawned. According to admissions of the superintendents, this was a 

 losing proposition and the canneries would really have been better off to have discontinued operations. 

 This condition may be corrected by fixing a definite date when all canning must cease each season. 



