SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK 
739 
The ratios of the other species show a consistent increase with vessel size except 
in the group of vessels of 40 or more net tons. In this particular class, two species 
show increases and two decreases as compared with the next smaller class. The 
average ratios of all species were used as the final measure of relative vessel efficiency. 
The efficiency of boats of less than 5 net tons was arbitrarily set at 0.5, since sufficient 
data were not available from which a ratio for this class might be calculated. 
The average vessel efficiencies of the Puget Sound fleets from 1909-34, based 
upon these ratios, are shown graphically in the center section of fig. 15. The abrupt 
increase in the efficiency of the 1912 fleet is due to the construction of large vessels 
in that year. Efficiencies of the summer and fall fleets are quite similar, with the 
exception of the period after 1923. The divergence shown here is due to considerable 
variations in the number of small boats fishing. The general trend of the average 
efficiency is upward, with a slight decline in 1933 and 1934. It is evident that the 
fleets of recent years are, boat for boat, about twice as efficient as were those of 1909 
and 1910. 
The total efficiency figures for the fleets from 1909-34 are presented in table 16. 
The same data are shown graphically in the bottom section of fig. 15. The great 
increase in efficiency in early years, as well as the considerable rise during recent 
years, is obvious. Judging from the actual number of licenses issued, as shown in 
the top section of the figure, there were 7 years between 1913 and 1921 in which the 
number of vessels fishing was greater than the average number fishing between 1931 
and 1934. However, it is apparent from the figures of total vessel efficiency that the 
average of the last 4 years has been exceeded only once, in 1917, and approached 
closely in only 2 other years, 1915 and 1921. It is thus evident that, with the 
exception of the abnormal year 1917, the intensity of the purse-seine fishery on Puget 
Sound has been potentially greater during recent years than at any previous time in 
the history of the fishery. 
Table 16. — Relative efficiencies of Puget Sound purse-seine fleets, 1909-84 1 
Year 
Summer 
fleet 
Fall 
fleet 
Unallo- 
cated 
Year 
Summer 
fleet 
Fall 
fleet 
1809 
74. 58 
1922 
79. 70 
180. 54 
1910 
96.68 
1923 
172. 84 
186. 32 
1911 
112. 06 
113. 86 
1924 
72. 98 
128. 22 
1912 
174. 22 
1925 
181. 75 
217. 19 
1913 
263. 10 
1926 
91. 04 
189. 31 
1914 
304. 30 
1927 
197. 79 
260.91 
1915... 
343. 48 
1928 
154. 30 
250. 07 
1916 
275. 54 
312. 60 
1929 
284. 69 
304. 62 
1917 
.. 509. 10 
520. 62 
1930 
233.63 
295. 58 
1918 . 
232.82 
275. 94 
1931 
384. 17 
384. 14 
1919 _ 
294. 02 
319. 48 
1932 
312. 21 
320. 93 
1920 
198. 36 
231. 10 
1933. 
351.06 
369. 32 
1921 
338. 30 
348. 44 
1934 
333.83 
344.80 
1 For years 1909, 1912, 1913, and 1914, actual sizes of all boats unknown; efficiencies calculated from proportionate sizes of identified 
boats, which were 84, 70, 42, and 45 percent of the respective fleets of those years. 
71941 - 38 - 
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