SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA SALMON STATISTICS 
487 
exclusively by the use of traps. Larger catches were made, therefore, in the strait 
than in the bays. 
The growth of the industry in this district was not marked by any sudden devel- 
opments or increase of activities until 1917 when, under the pressure of extraordinary 
conditions, through 4 years, 2 % times as many beach seines, 5 times as many purse 
seines, and 4 times as many traps were employed as had ever before been used, with 
the one exception that 38 purse seines were operated in 1908. This large increase 
in appliances raised the catch of all species, except reds, to levels that had not before 
been reached. With the return to normal world conditions, the speculative operators 
disappeared, fishing dropped back to its usual level and catches were reduced 
accordingly. After a year or two of relative inaction, the fisheries again began to 
receive increasing attention, and in a few seasons the number of seines and traps 
and the catches again increased in spite of the fact that several bays had been closed 
to fishing and closed seasons had been provided for extended periods. 
The laws and regulations until 1924 were weak and ineffectual in providing 
even a fair measure of protection for the fisheries, and they had little or no effect in 
limiting the catch in any locality. The law of 1924, however, was a material forward 
step in fishery legislation and made it possible to bring complete protection to these 
fisheries at any time and in any locality. Accordingly, all fishing was prohibited for 
20 days in August 1924, and Tenakee Inlet, Freshwater Bay, Whitewater Bay, and 
Wilson Cove were permanently closed to all commercial fishing for salmon. In 
1925, additional closures included the head of the south arm of Chaik Bay, Warm- 
springs Bay, Basket Bay, south arm of Bay of Pillars, north arm of Tebenkof Bay, 
Gut Bay, Red Bluff Bay, and Falls Creek Bay. In the waters of Chatham Strait 
north of the fifty-eighth parallel of north latitude, fishing, except by lines and by gill 
nets from September 5 to October 15, was prohibited after August 6 to the end of 
the year. In the waters between the fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth parallels, fishing, 
except by lines, was prohibited after August 1 1 ; in the water south of the fifty- 
seventh parallel, fishing, except by lines, was prohibited from August 18 to Sep- 
tember 24, and after October 15. These seasonal closings were continued in 1926 
and 1927, and in 1926 the middle arm and part of the south arm of Kelp Bay were 
permanently closed. At the same time all streams of Sitkoh Bay were protected to 
a distance of 1,000 yards. 
