SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA SALMON STATISTICS 
573 
The unallocated catches of all species in this district are unavoidably large, due 
to the failure of those engaged in fishing to make correct allocations. It was an easy 
matter to cover all localities by the simple statement that the fish came from the 
west coast of Prince of Wales Island, leaving the data thus supplied without value in 
showing the condition of a fishery at any particular place. On account of this 
grouping of catches, probably no locality shows a complete record of the salmon it 
produced. In almost every case gaps occur which cannot now be filled. It was also 
necessary to include in these unallocated figures catches reported from 42 unknown 
localities, such as “Nuckleen”, “Nuckwell Bay”, “Orr Inlet”, “Scheley Bay”, 
“Silber Bay”, “Sierra Harbor”, “Silvers Island”, “Snail Bay”, “Soucha Bay”, and 
the like. Discussion of the data must obviously be confined largely to the total 
catch of the district. 
Salmon approach the streams of this coast through Davidson Inlet, the channels 
connecting the Gulf of Esquibel and the ocean, Bucareli Bay, and Meares Passage. 
Some may come south through El Capitan Passage, while yet others may enter 
through Tlevak Narrows at the southern end of the district, but it is doubtful if any 
considerable number use these entrances, else there would have developed a greater 
concentration of fishing effort at those places. Salmon using the northern gateway 
probably disperse to the streams of Sea Otter Sound, Tuxekan, and El Capitan 
Passage; those entering through the other gateways seem to converge and move into 
Klawak and Shinaku Inlets, although a considerable body diverges into Trocadero 
Bay. Fishing along the shores of the islands lying between these localities and the 
ocean takes the first toll from these runs and serves to emphasize the outstanding 
position of these few localities in the production of salmon in this district. 
The final section of the table gives by years the number of coho and king salmon 
which were caught by trollers operating in this district, although these catches had 
already been included in other sections of the table. The object of this separation 
was to give an approximation, at least, of the importance of line fishing. 
Figure 37 shows graphically the catch of salmon by species in the entire district. 
The pink salmon catches showed in general an upward trend from 1900 to the last 
year herein considered, 1927. They developed with special rapidity between 1905 
and 1913 corresponding to the influx of more fishing appliances and the opening of 
new canneries. Then followed a period of 3 years in which catches were considerably 
lower, but since that time the trend has been noticeably upward with the exception 
of the small catch of 1921, when the fishing effort was much reduced, and the excep- 
tionally poor run of 1927, when the catch reached the lowest point since 1905. A 
material increase in the number of traps could not provide a normal catch; the 
shortage undoubtedly was due to an actual scarcity of salmon, and since the streams 
were low, concern was felt for the runs 2 years later. The seriousness of the situation 
being recognized, all waters of the district were closed on August 18, 4 days earlier 
than the date fixed in the original order, and the open season from September 14 to 
October 15 was eliminated, making possible the escapement of such runs as might 
subsequently appear. 
The chum salmon fishery is of more recent development. Once begun, the 
catches increased rapidly and quite regularly until the suspension of fishing in 1921, 
which was brought about by the collapse of the market for the cheaper grades of 
salmon. With the resumption of fishing in 1922, the catch improved, and 3 years 
later reached a peak far above any previous high level, only to fall with alarming 
