RACES OF HERRING, SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA 
121 
of herring populations. One 
type would be those races in- 
habiting the major spawning 
grounds, and, by inference, 
some of the minor spawning 
grounds of importance in the 
past. This type of race might 
be rather migratory in its hab- 
its, thus accounting for the 
distances between major 
spawning grounds. Many of 
the minor spawning grounds 
might then be inhabited by 
herring of local character, 
rather nonmigratory in habits. 
Such a type is suggested by 
the herring found spawning at 
the head of Gut Bay (see fig. 
2) in the middle of June, at 
least 6 weeks after the normal 
cessation of spawning at Craig 
and Sitka. Such small bodies 
of herring might seldom stray 
from a single inlet or fiord. 
Possibly a herring population 
may change gradually from a 
nonmigratory to a migratory 
habit, or vice versa, accord- 
ing to its abundance, as spatial 
considerations are known to 
affect the migrations of mam- 
mals. 
There are two quite dis- 
tinct herring fisheries in south- 
eastern Alas k a — the minor 
fishery for halibut bait, carried 
on during the halibut fishing 
season throughout the whole 
area; and, secondly, the major 
fishery of the herring plants 
which produces salt herring 
and fish meal and oil. The 
second fishery operates only 
from June 1 to September 
30 and its fishing operations 
are confined to the western por- 
tion of southeastern Alaska. 
Figure 1 .— Southeastern Alaska, showing spawning grounds and feeding grounds of herring. Cross-hatched areas indicate spawning grounds; horizontally barred areas indicate feeding 
grounds of importance to summer fishery of salt herring and fish oil and meal industry. The importance of both types of areas is roughly proportional to size of circles. Black dots 
show location of 7 herring plants operating in 1934; small circles give location of 4 herring plants remaining inactive in 1934. 
