FISHERIES OF ALASKA IK 1909. 
27 
year, however, in Naha Stream itself, on which Fortmann hatchery is 
located and in which the original plant of marked fish was made. 
For the first time a report has been received of a redfish lacking 
both ventrals taken outside of southeast Alaska. The Alaska 
Packers Association reports “ several mature sockeye salmon ” with 
these fins lacking at its Karluk hatchery during the 1909 spawning 
season. One of these was forwarded to the Bureau of Fisheries and 
on examination identified with the Chamberlain marked salmon. 
If it had been taken in the Naha or Yes Bay Stream, no question 
would have arisen over its identity as a marked fish, as the specimen 
does not differ essentially from the fish already recognized as marked 
returns. The great distance between the place where these fish were 
hatched and marked and the stream of the supposed return need not 
prevent a corresponding migration, but it is not to be inferred that 
there is any considerable interchange of this sort between these or 
other regions remote from each other. 
The prolongation of the return from this very interesting marking 
experiment has been rather unexpected, and the next season’s results 
will be awaited with additional interest. 
FISHERY LAWS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT. 
NEEDS OF THE SERVICE. 
The most urgent need of the Alaska salmon-inspection service is 
proper vessels for carrying on its work. In no part of Alaska are 
means of local communication other than very meager. The regular 
steamship lines visit only the more important points, and in some sec- 
tions the calls of such steamers will not average more than one or two 
a month. Then, as they cover a wide area in their travels, the 
steamers can remain but a few hours at any one place, a time not 
sufficient for an inspector to look over the fishing grounds, which are 
usually off the regular line of travel. Even if these vessels were 
available, however, the inspectors should not be compelled to depend 
upon them, for the fishermen would in this event be able to prepare 
for the arrival of the vessel with the inspector aboard, and thus to 
conceal any illegality that might be in practice. 
Owing to the lack of suitable vessels it was found impossible in 
1908 and 1909 to inspect any of the fisheries of central Alaska. In 
these sections vessels of sufficient size and seaworthiness can not be 
chartered. In the protected waters of southeast Alaska launches can 
be used, but as they must, under present conditions, be chartered with 
their crews, it is almost impossible to prevent notification of the 
fishermen in advance. Frequently, also, when a launch is most 
needed, all of the few available will be under charter and the trip 
must be abandoned. 
68427°— 11 17 
