SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA SALMON STATISTICS 
587 
important element in the fisheries of Cordova Bay. The smaller catches in the last 
3 years are accounted for by the prohibition of fishing in Hetta Inlet since 1924, that 
being the most productive red-salmon locality in the district. 
The catch of p in k salmon shows a more even trend than that of the other species. 
In 1923 this district, among others, had a phenomenal run of pinks which made pos- 
sible the largest catch in its history, being double that of any other year. Four years 
later it had the poorest run ever known in that section. These extremes seem to be 
due entirely to biological factors, as no satisfactory explanation of a superabundance 
of pinks in one year and an abnormal scarcity in another can be found in the economic 
conditions that might then have affected the industry. The small catches in 1920 
and 1921 were due to causes entirely different from those existing in 1927, being in 
no sense biological upsets but induced largely by an inactive market for pink salmon. 
The chum fishery is of comparatively later development than those of the other 
species and the trend of the catches has been decidedly upward, the high point in 
1925 being far above the yield in any previous year. The catch in 1926 was also good, 
having been exceeded but three times in the history of the fishery. For reasons already 
assigned, the catch in 1927 was the smallest on record, excepting that of 1921, when 
little fishing was done. 
The catch of cohos shows marked irregularities, the earliest years being the 
most productive. From 1904 to 1911 this fishery became relatively unimportant, 
but thereafter rather wide fluctuations in catches occurred. The good years were 
followed by the precipitous drops of the poor years, and these were succeeded by a 
gradual improvement in catches. These recurring evidences of strength, weakness, 
and recovery are interesting peculiarities of this fishery but are probably not indica- 
tions of depletion. 
King salmon are rarely taken in this district. The reported catch of 2,360 in 
Sukkwan Strait in 1918 is open to question as being an error in allocation. It was 
made by trollers and was doubtless reported by the purchaser as coming from the 
point of delivery rather than the fishing grounds. 
CLARENCE STRAIT DISTRICT 
The Clarence Strait district covers the waters of the east coast of Prince of Wales 
Island from Point Colpoys on the north to Surf Point on the south, Stikine Strait 
and Chichagof Pass, the waters of the west coast of Etolin Island and of Cleveland 
Peninsula, between Lemesurier Point and Caamano Point; the waters of Gravina 
Island, except Tongass Narrows; the waters of the western and southern shores of 
Annette Island, between Walden Point and Annette Point, and the waters of Duke 
Island, west of a line from Cape Northumberland across Felice Strait to Annette 
Point, and those of all the smaller islands lying within these boundaries. (See fig. 
40.) It is a large district, approximately 132 miles in length, and for many years it 
has been the field of important salmon fisheries and intensive fishing. The labyrinth 
of bays and the hundreds of streams present ideal conditions for the production of 
salmon and have made possible an annual commercial catch aggregating millions of 
fish. Some sections of the shore have no deep and intricate indentations but they 
form equally important fishing grounds on which yet other millions of salmon have 
been caught during their migrations. 
The development of these fisheries began commercially with the salting of red 
salmon at Karta Bay before 1888, and at Cholmondeley Sound, Thorne Bay, Tolstoi 
