438 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
etc. These districts are listed in the table of contents and a map of each is given in 
the text with the corresponding discussion. 
The nature and imperfections of the data with which we are dealing have been 
mentioned repeatedly in the preceding reports of this series, but the difficulties encoun- 
tered in the collection and handling of data from other parts of Alaska have been 
multiplied manyfold in the present study. This is due primarily to the lack of clear 
distinction between the catches in different sections, in other words, to the fact that 
the geographical regions (which were the only sort of regions that could be set up) 
do not and cannot be made to conform to the biological conditions. It is probable 
that no district in southeastern Alaska, excepting possibly Yakutat, draws its quota of 
salmon from a single stream or even from a group of streams that can be set down 
definitely. This is perhaps particularly true of the pinks, chums, and cohos, although 
it applies more or less to the reds and kings as well. In addition to this difficulty 
southeastern Alaska is such a large district that confusion in records and the indefinite- 
ness of allocation to the localities in which the fish were caught has been tremen- 
dously increased. Thus it has frequently happened that two or more major localities 
in separate districts were linked together in reporting the catch, making accurate 
allocation of catches to specific waters wholly impossible. Faulty terminology, con- 
fusion of names and the interchange of fish by sale and resale added to the complica- 
tions. Furthermore the general failure of independent seiners, gill netters, trollers, 
and trap operators to file reports of their catches in several years increased the 
difficulties of assembling the data by districts. In several instances coho- and 
king-salmon catches were reported in pounds instead of fish, thus necessitating 
estimates of the number of fish handled before such data could be used. Records 
were often incomplete, resulting in many unallocated catches which, in some instances, 
aggregated a large proportion of the total catch. And in many cases the catches 
could not be allocated even to one of the major districts, but had to be set out in a 
separate table as the unallocated catch of southeastern Alaska. Data are also pre- 
sented in separate tables, or as a section of the main table for each district, showing 
the number of coho and king salmon taken by trollers. In a few cases, where the 
catches were insignificant, this information was given in a footnote below the 
respective tables. 
Records for the earlier years of fishing throughout southeastern Alaska give no 
reliable indication of the abundance of salmon at any time. Canneries were few, 
comparatively small, and without the equipment for the rapid handling of fish that 
is now used in all modern plants; fishing appliances were less effective in the more 
open waters of the district than they are today, and in consequence a much smaller 
percentage of the runs was taken. The fluctuations in catches in these earlier years, 
except of reds, was due to the limited market for the cheaper grades of fish, as cannery 
men were not inclined to pack more than they could sell. This applied to both pinks 
and chums. Cohos were also affected in that frequently capacity packs of other 
species were made by some canneries before the cohos came and therefore no efforts 
were made to take that species. Changes in laws and regulations affected the catches 
of all species especially after 1923. All of these factors must be considered in the 
analysis of the catch data for all major districts in southeastern Alaska, if anything 
like a true understanding of the fluctuations in reported catches is to be reached. 
The tables show in addition to catches the number of fishing appliances used in 
each district. These data also are unsatisfactory, but it is believed that, in general, 
they are not far from the truth. The following general principles were applied in 
