HERRING IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA 
287 
of the boats, and the effectiveness of their gear have also been disregarded in this 
analysis, because no measure of these is available. For instance, the introduction 
of the power seine roller was a great advancement over the former method of pulling 
Figure 13.— Legal fishing seasons in Prince William Sound. The first closed period became eSective in 
December, 1924. Unshaded portions indicate open seasons. The heavy vertical lines in 1924, 1925, 
1927, and 1928 indicate opening and closing dates changed, before becoming effective, by supplementary 
regulations 
seines by hand, but we have no records of when it was first introduced, and no method 
of determining the effect which it has had on the catch. 
Table 15. — Purse seine fleet of Prince William Sound 
The fishery of Prince William Sound was developed primarily for the pickled 
product. The fish were superior in quality to those taken in southeastern Alaska, 
and a market was readily found for them (p. 264). The first reduction units (Table 1) 
were introduced chiefly to utilize the waste which accompanies the curing process. 
Large fish predominated in the catch, and the mild-curing of herring was a thriving 
business. 
The curing industry requires a supply of large fish, which must be brought to 
the saltery in good condition. The fishermen, therefore, made special efforts to take 
only the larger fish, usually disregarding the schools of smaller individuals. Their 
