PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, COPPER AND BERING RIVER SALMON STATISTICS 215 
Culross Passage . — Culross Passage has been one of the largest producers of 
pink and chum salmon in the Port Wells district. It is a narrow strait separating 
Culross Island from the mainland and is probably one of the routes used by salmon 
entering Port Wells, although the larger part of the catches were made by purse 
seines, indicating that the fish were schooled in considerable bodies. Long Bay, 
the only arm on the west side of the passage, was closed by regulation in 1925 and 
has not since been opened. The passage has been fished every year from 1917 to 
1927, inclusive, except 1921 and 1923. In the last four years of this period, the 
catch of pinks was exceptionally high, while a fair number of chums was also caught. 
The other species were represented in the catches of nearly every year, but not in 
sufficient quantities to give such runs real significance. The largest catch of pinks 
was reported in 1926, which would naturally be expected in a season of such unprece- 
dented runs as then occurred; but 1927 was also a good year, the yield being second 
only to the catch of 1926. 
Point Culross . — Data for this locality cover two years, 1926 and 1927. The 
catches were made by a trap which intercepted the runs to Port Wells along an 
abrupt shore where the water is deep and where only floating traps can be used. 
Although data for only two years can have no immediate significance they are kept 
separate in view of the probability of future development in this locality. The same 
procedure has been followed elsewhere in this series. 
Esther Passage . — This passage separates Esther Island from the mainland. It 
has been fished irregularly since 1914 and catches, apparently from local runs, have 
always been small. On the west side of the passage is a stream, the outlet of a small 
lake, which supports a small run of red salmon. The comparatively early exploita- 
tion of the fisheries of Esther Passage was probably due to the presence of these few 
red salmon. Nothing in the records at this locality gives promise of a valuable 
fishery in the future. If any considerable part of the salmon going to Port Wells 
enter through this passage, it might reasonably be assumed that a fishery of importance 
could be maintained, but there is no evidence that the passage is so used. 
Hummer Bay .- — This bay has provided catches of pink and chum salmon. The 
first catches were reported in 1918, the second in 1920, but not again until 1924. 
From then until 1927 fishing was carried on each season. As the catches in 1918 
and 1920 bear little or no relation to those in 1924 and later, consideration is here 
given only to the data of the other years. Hummer Bay is a small indentation on 
the west side of Port Wells. In 1924 the entire catch was made by seines and in 
all probability was taken well within the bay. Since then more than half the catch 
came from a trap at or near the entrance of the bay, while in 1926 the trap made 
two-thirds of the catch. The even years show the largest production, though the 
catches in the odd years were relatively good. It can not be definitely determined, 
however, that all the trap-caught fish were Hummer Bay salmon, as it is probable 
that salmon going to more northerly waters of Port Wells were captured by this trap. 
Long Bay . — This bay was referred to in the discussion of Culross Passage data. 
It was set out as a separate locality in order to localize as far as possible the larger 
catches in places where there was reasonable assurance that operations would be 
continued after 1927 — the last year considered in this review. Fair catches of pinks 
and chums were made here in 1926 and 1927, notwithstanding that the bay had been 
closed to commercial fishing for salmon since 1924. Evidently the catches in subse- 
quent years were made at the entrance of the bay rather than in the closed area 
and were reported as Long Bay fish in order to differentiate them from salmon 
