CHIGNIK TO RESURRECTION BAY SALMON STATISTICS 
661 
Table 12 . — Salmon catch and fishing appliances used in the Red River district, 1896 to 1922 
Year 
Coho 
Chum 
Pink 
King 
Red 
Beach Seines 
Red River: 
1896 
42.000 
60.000 
285.000 
200. 000 
200,000 
100,000 
167, 175 
58, 805 
163, 466 
312, 377 
Num- 
ber 
Fathoms 
1898 
1900 .. 
1901 1 
1902 1 . . .. .. 
1903 1 
1904 
7 
1905_ 
7 
1906 
10 
1907 
10 
3.000 
2.000 
1908 
17, 381 
286, 112 
201, 007 
99, 308 
176, 788 
412, 907 
293, 439 
142, 657 
212, 124 
215, 142 
222 , 376 
147, 191 
80, 375 
14, 632 
4 
1909 
4 
i, 600 
2,000 
1,800 
1,600 
1,600 
1,600 
1,600 
1,500 
1,500 
1,600 
750 
1910 
16,317 
4 
1911 __. 
4 
1912 
1,495 
67, 523 
615 
4 
1913 - . 
4 
1914 . . 
42, 188 
4 
1915 
15 
4 
1916 
124 
22 , 2 i 0 
49 
3 
1917 -_- 
33 
3 
1918 -.- 
942 
167, 914 
27 
152 
3 
1919 
75 
364 
3 
1920 _ 
23 
52,006 
66 
4 
1,200 
1921 
28, 977 
12, 222 
1922 _ 
26, 862 
Sturgeon River: 
1910 
5, 000 
1920 - 
7, 138 
1922 _ 
4,000 
1 Catches estimated. 
Note .— The catch of red salmon at Red River in 1901 , 1902 , and 1903 was estimated and deducted from the reported catch at 
Karluk, as there was no allocation to Red River in those years. No catch was reported in the years not shown in this table. 
Little is known of the early history of salmon fishing at Red River, but available 
records indicate that operations began soon after the establishment of canneries at 
Karluk and Olga Bay. These meager records give in general the impression that 
a considerable run of red and humpback salmon came to this stream, and that such 
catches as were made there formed appreciable parts of the packs at near-by can- 
neries. The first authentic record of a catch of salmon at Red River, however, was 
made by the Alaska Improvement Co. in 1896 when 42,000 reds were taken at that 
fishery and packed at Karluk; yet it is a generally accepted fact that commercial 
fishing had been carried on annually for several years prior thereto. Stream statistics 
were not kept for publication in those years, as the item of chief interest was the 
number of cases packed regardless of the source of the salmon procured. Usually 
the pack of any cannery was allocated, if at all, to the important stream nearest the 
location of the plant, so in that way the catches at Red River in several seasons 
were lost in combination with catches at Karluk, Olga Bay, Uganik, and probably 
Chignik. In 1902, Moser 7 reported that the catch of red salmon off the mouth of 
Red River in 1900 was estimated at 700,000 and that early in August pink salmon 
schooled in such numbers at the mouth of the river as to stop fishing for reds since 
pinks were then regarded as almost worthless. If this figure is even approximately 
correct, a large part of the catch is unaccounted for inasmuch as the detailed catch 
statistics given also by Moser show only that 285,000 red salmon were taken that 
year, of which 25,000 were packed at Alitak, 242,500 at Karluk, and 17,500 at 
Uganik. There is no way of knowing which of these estimates is nearest the truth 
but the smaller figure has been adopted since the larger one is greatly in excess of 
the maximum catch reported in any other year. 
7 Alaska Salmon Investigations in 1900 and 1901, by Jefferson F. Moser. Bulletin, U. S. Fish Commission, 1901 0902), Vol, 
XXI, pp. 173-401. Washington. 
