626 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The total catches in the Ernest Sound district are shown graphically in figure 46. 
It appears that the catch of red salmon has maintained a fairly even trend for approxi- 
mately 20 years, omitting 1921 and 1927, years in which unusual conditions prevailed. 
Depletion in certain localities was offset by larger catches in other places so that the 
totals have not been appreciably changed. The catch of king salmon likewise shows 
little fluctuation, the large catch in 1919 coming mainly from trollers who ordinarily 
do not allocate their catches in detail but for some reason did so in that year. 
Wide fluctuations mark the catches of chums and pinks and both show the excep- 
tional drop in 1927 which has been frequently mentioned as general throughout 
southeastern Alaska. With respect to chums these variations do not appear to be 
particularly significant, as, since 1921, the maximum catches, at least, have been 
about the same as those preceding this period and the general average not much lower. 
Figure 46. — Catch of salmon in the Ernest Sound district, 1896 to 1927. 
The catches of pinks, however, maintained a noticeably lower level during the period 
1922-27. Part of this doubtless can be accounted for as the result of the prohibition 
of fishing in some localities, but it is not all traceable to such causes ; some reduction 
in abundance is quite clearly indicated. 
The escapements into Anan Creek have been recorded by means of weir counts 
since 1925 and show marked reduction during the 3 years between 1925 and 1927. In 
1925 the count of pink salmon through the weir in Anan Creek was 261,339 m 1926 
it was 121,780; and in 1927 only 44,936. It is reasonable to assume that the situa- 
tion at Anan was typical of conditions at other streams of the district, although prob- 
ably less serious, for, as already indicated, Anan benefited from special protection 
which made possible a larger escapement of salmon into the stream than otherwise 
would have been the case. Less protection being accorded the other streams, the 
escapement, doubtless, was relatively smaller. 
