SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK 
747 
It is apparent that the late summer fishing for pink salmon in odd years in the 
northern districts of the sound has caused some extension of sockeye catches, and 
this is further demonstrated by the absence of chum salmon in the catches. In even 
years, although the summer fishery begins to decline much earlier, such vessels as are 
fishing are operating in districts where the early chum runs are found, and increased 
catches of chums appear more than a month earlier than in odd years. 
The predominance of chum salmon in the fall fishery of even years indicates a 
greater effort to take this species when the lack of pink salmon has resulted in a poor 
season for the seiners. The peak of the fall fishery is reached during the week ending 
October 27. In odd years the peak of the total catch is reached a week earlier, shortly 
after the coho run has reached its maximum, and the curve begins to decline while 
chums are still abundant. 
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF EACH SPECIES 
PUGET SOUND 
The sum of the Puget Sound purse-seine catches from 1917-34 was 64,978,888 
salmon, of which 37,559,326 were pink salmon, 12,653,382 were chum salmon, 
9,121,238 were sockeye, 5,383,438 were coho, and 261,504 were king salmon. Large 
and small runs of pink salmon appear in alternate years. In years of abundance, 
odd years, they have averaged over 4 million fish a year and have provided approxi- 
mately 75 percent of the catch, in the even years they have averaged little more than 
6.000 a year and have furnished less than 1 percent of the catch. Their average for 
all years is 37.44 percent (see table 21). 
The average chum-salmon catch over 18 years has been approximately 700,000 
fish per year. Seven of the 9 even-year totals are considerably above tins figure, 
reflecting the more intense even-year fishery. During this period the average pro- 
portion of chums in the annual catches was 32.07 percent. 
Although over 9 million sockeyes have been taken during this period, nearly 6 
million were caught during ODly 3 years; almost 2 million in 1917, nearly 2 ){ million 
in 1930, and over 1% million in 1934. The remaining 15 years averaged approximately 
226.000 fish. The annual average for sockeyes was 15.63 percent over the 18-year 
period. 
The catches of coho salmon show smaller fluctuations than do those of the above 
species; then- average has been approximately 300,000 fish per year during this 
period. They averaged 14.16 percent of the annual catches. 
King salmon are a negligible factor in the purse-seine catches, averaging less than 
15.000 fish per year. This species has provided an average of only 0.7 percent of 
the total catches during the 18-year period. 
