FLUCTUATIONS IN THE SUPPLY OF HERRING, CLUPEA PALLAS1I, 
IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA 
J- 
By George A. Rounsefell, Ph. D., Junior Aquatic Biologist , and Edwin H. Dahlgren, Junior 
Aquatic Biologist 
Jt 
CONTENTS 
Page 
Introduction 263 
The fishery 264 
Early history and development 264 
Fishing grounds 267 
Local populations 269 
Condition of the supply 273 
Factors influencing the determina- 
tion of abundance 273 
Seasonal changes in availability 
Annual variations in weight of 
the individual herring 274 
Size and age composition of the 
catch 276 
Page 
Condition of the supply — Continued. 
Factors influencing the determination 
of abundance — Continued. 
Regulations 282 
Catch statistics 284 
Conclusions 288 
Recommendations 289 
Fundamental considerations 289 
Specific recommendations 290 
Bibliography 291 
INTRODUCTION 1 
The herring fishery of Prince William Sound has been marked by fluctuations 
in the abundance, size, and quality of fish. The effect on the industry has been wide- 
spread and harmful. Companies have lost large sums owing to temporary fluctuations 
in abundance or to changes in the proportions of large herring suitable for pickling. 
The stabilization of the yield of this fishery constitutes an important economic prob- 
lem for solution. 
The main causes for these fluctuations in abundance are twofold : First, inequal- 
ity in the numerical strength of the annual increments to the population proceeding 
from each year class; and second, insufficient numbers of older fish, caused by a too 
intensive fishery. The first cause of fluctuations can not well be controlled, as the 
success or failure of a spawning appears to depend chiefly on the surface temperature 
of the ocean. Knowing that such fluctuations in the annual increments to the pop- 
ulation are bound to occur, it is obvious that the fishery can not be stabilized unless it 
draws chiefly upon the older fish, which should form a reservoir of sufficient size to be 
able to bridge gaps of a few years with very small increments to the population, with- 
out causing too large or too sudden a decrease in the yield of the fishery. This paper 
deals chiefly with the problem of securing this optimum yield. 
The methods of collecting and analyzing the data are similar to those given in a 
previous report by the senior author (Rounsefell, 1930). 
1 The authors wish to acknowledge the criticism of Dr. Frederick A. Davidson on the section on local populations. Submitted 
for publication, Oct. 14, 1931. 
92966—32 1 
263 
