PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, COPPER AND BERING RIVER SALMON STATISTICS 235 
elsewhere. In fact, outside of Eshamy Creek, Jackpot Bay, Miners River, and 
Billys Hole no red salmon were taken in the western part of the sound before 1917. 
Between 1914 and 1917 the number of canneries increased from 1 to 9 and the fishing 
effort was materially augmented. This development of the fishery disclosed the 
presence of red salmon in places not previously known to support runs of that species. 
Except in Valdez Arm, however, these catches of reds were not in sufficient numbers 
to have much significance. Still, it must be recognized that the distribution of red 
salmon in the sound regardless of the character of the streams in the several localities 
was very general. It is also interesting to note that notwithstanding the permanent 
O O 0JCJOJCMCJf\J(NJ(M 
<T> <T> (D <D O') 
Figure 7.— Catch of red salmon in Prince William Sound 
closing, in June, 1924, of the waters close to the better-known red-salmon streams, the 
average annual catch of reds in the four years from 1924 to 1927 was only about 10 
per cent below the average for the eight years from 1916 to 1923. 
It is also true that as the number of canneries increased the number of fishing 
appliances was multiplied several times. Beach seines increased from 9 in 1916 to 
48 in 1917, purse seines from 21 to 49, gill nets from 19 to 69, and traps from none to 3. 
In the next three years progressively more appliances were put into operation, except 
seines which reached their maximum in 1918, until in 1920 the number of beach seines 
was 54, purse seines 63, gill nets 217, and traps 47. This was the period during which 
practically all regulations were set aside in order that large packs might be made for 
war-time food purposes. Intensive fishing resulted and the exploitation of the 
