FLUCTUATION'S IN THE SUPPLY OF HERRING- 
39 
tailing the fishing on these older grounds would be of the greatest benefit, since they 
would permit the rehabilitation of large areas once productive, and, at the same time, 
would not work a hardship on the present fishery, which obtains but a trifling amount 
from these depleted grounds. 
In addition to the closure of the grounds showing the greatest depletion, a few 
of the newer grounds should be closed for a part of each season to prevent a repetition 
of what has occurred before. In selecting the portions of the season to close, atten- 
tion must be paid to the time at which the herring are taken on each ground so as to 
prohibit fishing during a portion of this time and not during a time when no fish are 
expected to be running. 
To relieve the newer fishing grounds of the additional strain that will be imposed 
upon them by the closure of some of the older grounds, it will be well to encourage 
fishing in a few of the more distant areas not so intensively fished at present. 
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 
(1) That all commercial fishing for herring, including bait fishing, be prohibited 
for a period of five years in the waters of areas 11, 12, 13, 21, and 23. (See A and B, 
fig. 26.) 
(2) That all commercial fishing for herring, including bait fishing, be prohibited 
in areas 14 and 15 (see C, fig. 26) except from August 1 to 31, inclusive. 
(3) That all commercial fishing for herring, including bait fishing, be prohibited 
in area 17 (see D, fig. 26) during the month of July. 
(4) That in areas 3, 4, and 16 (see E, fig. 26) the 36-hour weekly closed season 
be extended to 48 hours, from 12 o’clock noon on Saturday to 12 o’clock noon on 
Monday. 
(5) That all commercial fishing for herring be prohibited in areas 19 and 20 
(see F, fig. 26) prior to July 1 in each calendar year. 
(6) That none of these recommendations shall prohibit the taking of bait by 
salmon trolling boats with the gear permitted by section 5 of the general regulations. 
(See Department of Commerce Circular No. 251, Laws and Regulations for Protec- 
tion of Fisheries of Alaska.) 
(7) That recommendations 2, 3, and 5 providing for longer closed seasons in 
certain areas shall not apply to the taking of herring for bait by boats of not more 
than 50 feet in length, as shown by official register. 
(8) That none of these recommendations shall apply to the commercial use of 
gill nets of not less than 2%-inch mesh stretched measure between knots from June 1 
to December 31, both dates inclusive. 
(9) That the use of herring of over 10% inches in total length measured from the 
tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin for reduction purposes be regarded as wanton 
waste under section 8 of the act of June 26, 1906. Any wilful use or changes of gear, 
machinery, or handling so as to depreciate the value of herring as food shall be con- 
sidered as an infringement of this regulation. 
EXPLANATION OF SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 
Recommendation 1 prohibiting fishing in areas 11, 12, 13, 21, and 23 (see A and 
B, fig. 26) for a period of five years is not as harsh as it might seem. These areas are 
so depleted that their closure will not curtail the catch more than 1 or 2, possibly 
as high as 5, per cent. (See Tables 10, 11, and 12.) 
