April 1951 



CCmERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



17 



Peril Strait ; Several drags in depths from 128 to 178 fathoms were made in 

 Peril Strait with small quantities of shrimp (mostly side stripe) being caught. 

 Drags in Sitkoh and Saook Bay produced insignificant numbers of pink shrimp. Drags 

 in Rodman Bay netted 4I pounds of pink and coon-stripe, on an hourly basis. Ushk 



Bay was dragged near the entrance, 

 and produced a poor showing of 

 pink. The head of this bay was 

 iced- in and was not dragged. 

 Drags in De adman Reach resulted 

 in negligible quantities of pink 

 and 16 king crab (from small to 

 medium size). 



Beam and otter-trawl drags 

 in Fish Bay netted as high as 

 250 pounds of pink shrimp on an 

 hourly basis. The largest con- 

 centration of pink was found to 

 be located off the "slide" area 

 in 30 to 40 fathoms. Drags on 

 both sides, and in mid-channel 

 netted over 200 pounds of pink 

 shrimp on an hourly basis. Using 

 a 40-foot beam, pink shrimp might 

 be taken at the rate of 4OO 

 pounds per hour. It seems pos- 

 sible that Fish Bay might support a small-scale dragging operation for shrimp with- 

 out appreciably reducing the present population. 



FIGURE 7 - KINQ CRAB TAKEN IN DEAOHAN REACH. SMALL 

 QUANTITIES OF THESE CRABS WERE TAKEN IN SEVERAL TOWS 

 DURING THE FALL TRIP. 



Of 6 drags made in Hoonah Sound, the most productive drag in 95 to ],02 fathoms 

 near the south end of Emmons Island netted 46 pounds of side stripe and pink shrimp 

 per hour. 



Commercial shrimp possibilities for this station (Peril Strait) seem to be 

 limited to dragging for pink shrimp in Fish Bay and a trap fishery for spot shrimp 

 in the rocky areas of both shores from Point Thatcher to Hoonah Sound. Traps set 

 in this area produced catches of spot shrimp varying from a few to 17 pounds per 

 trap. The average weight of 46 pounds of spot caught in traps in this area was 18 

 per pound, heads one, with the larger spot averaging 10 per pound, heads on. Best 

 catches were made in depths of 60 to 80 fathoms. 



Salisbury Sound and Sitka Area : A single drag near the north shore of Salis- 

 bury Sound, opposite Kalinin Bay in 92 to 100 fathoms netted 20 pounds per hour of 

 large side stripe averaging 20 per pound, heads on. These side stripe were Vermil- 

 lion red in color, and all but a few of the smaller ones had eggs. Very little 

 dragging bottom was foiind in Salisbury Sound. The total catch from 24 shrimp traps, 

 set in 22 to 90 fathcmfl from Point Kruzof to Schulze Cove, was only 24 spot shrimp. 



Biere were 2 beam- trawl drags made in 76 to 86 fathoms, 7^ and 10 miles off 

 Pt. Kruzof, Kruzof Island. Of the 2 drags, one netted a small amount of pink, 

 while the other resulted in a broked beam. Ihis area also proved to be unproduc- 

 tive with regard to other forms of marine life, as only a few flathead "sole" and 

 one long-jawed flounder were captured from the 2 drags. A siagle drag in 96 fathoms, 

 9 miles off Gilmer Bay, Kruzof Island, resulted in a large hole being torn in the 



