284 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
CATCH STATISTICS 
The total production figures have been derived from the following sources: 
(1) Sworn annual reports, which the Bureau of Fisheries has required of every operator 
since 1904. (2) Daily catch records kept on books issued to the companies by the 
Bureau of Fisheries and filled in by the operators each time a load of fish is delivered 
to the plant. (3) Field notes. (4) Company records. Most of these records do not 
give the poundage taken (except in the case of halibut bait), but give the amounts of 
the various products which were prepared. In analyzing the statistics, it was neces- 
sary for purposes of comparison, that all amounts be put on a common basis, the unit 
selected being the pound of raw herring as delivered to the plant. (Rounsefell, 1930, 
pp. 303-305.) 
The installation in 1930 of a 10-ton reduction plant in Evans Bay similar to those 
used in southeastern Alaska, and more efficient than the smaller type hitherto used 
in Prince William Sound, necessitated the use of the same conversion factors as were 
used in southeastern Alaska for this one plant; that is, 6.5 pounds of raw fish per pound 
of meal and 50 pounds of fish per gallon of oil. As a check on these figures, it was 
found that the actual weight, computed at 250 pounds to the barrel (the unit of 
measure which is used in buying the fish), was 21,000,000 pounds; the estimated weight 
(using the above-noted conversion factors for the meal and oil) was 21,631,706 pounds. 
The discrepancy between these figures may be partially accounted for by taking into 
consideration the fact that the unit of measure (a barrel containing 31.5 gallons) may 
hold more or less than its estimated 250 pounds, depending on the size and condition 
of the fish. Also the conversion factors are influenced by the fatness of the fish, a 
condition which can not be closely estimated since it varies greatly within the season 
as well as between seasons. 
The converted products are listed in Table 13, and plotted in Figure 11. This 
figure shows a rapid increase in the catch from 1918 until 1922, a steady decline from 
then until 1927 (except for a minor rise in 1925), followed by a rise continuing through 
1930. However, the total catch figures are of no significance as far as giving an index 
to the actual abundance of fish is concerned, unless some measures of the intensity 
of the fishery and of the changes in the size or age composition of the herring popula- 
tions are considered. 
Tablk 13. — Pounds of raw herring caught in Prince William Sound, 1917 to 1930 
Year 
Used for re- 
duction 
Pickled 
Used for bait 
Canned 
Total 
1917 
229, 458 
7,230,900 
7,104,848 
9, 185, 591 
16, 709, 239 
37, 145, 225 
19, 730, 903 
4, 216, 023 
10,073,336 
2, 586, 779 
4, 379, 418 
933,427 
157, 188 
1,988,994 
270, 482 
691, 800 
499,940 
7,922,700 
10, 081, 274 
19, 561, 666 
18.635.239 
44, 454, 582 
35,037,150 
18, 050, 652 
27, 205, 180 
10, 778, 651 
9,492,482 
15, 136, 645 
13, 673, 306 
31.614.239 
1918 
1919 
411, 126 
20, 000 
12, 00C 
524, 60C 
1, 451, 759 
1, 387, 750 
14,250 
712, 550 
341,750 
340, 000 
45,400 
139, 100 
2, 565, 300 
375 
1920 - 
10, 355, 700 
1,914,000 
6,784,757 
13,854,488 
12, 446, 879 
17, 117, 594 
7, 479, 322 
4, 771,314 
13, 863, 218 
13,470.718 
29, 486, 145 
1921 
1922 
1923 
1924. 
1925 
1926 
1927 - 
1928 - 
1929 
1930 
Total 
131,644, 135 
121, 671, 329 
6, 362, 567 
2,565,675 
262, 143, 706 
