Tag 6,000 Crabs
In Kodiak Area
The successful tagging of 6,000
adult king crabs in nine days by
four departmental biologists off
the southern tip of Kodiak Island
has been reported by the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game.
This is the largest king crab
tagging operation so far under
taken by the State according to Re
search Biologist Guy Powell, who
supervised the operation. The plas
tic tags, each carrying a number,
enables the biologist to identify in
dividual crabs. Tagged crabs, when
caught, are turned in by fishermen
to Department representatives. The
Department pays $2 for each
tagged crab and Powell reports the
cooperation by the fishermen is
excellent.
The recapture of tagged crabs
will help the biologists estimate
the abundance of crabs, their mor
tality, range of movements on the
ocean floor and the commercial
fishing intensity, Powell explained.
For an example, in previous tag
ging experiments, as many as 30%
of tiie tagged crabs have been re
covered within the first year, indi
cating a heavy fishing intensity.
The present tagging was accom
plished aboard the 80-foot king
crab boat Oceanic which was under
State charter for the job. The ship
was manned by a crew of four.
Powell was assisted in the tagging
operation by fishery biologist
George Gray and biological aides,
Dave Warner and Dave Hipply.
The Oceanic ranged 40 miles out
ward from Alitak Bay into the Pa
cific over an area embracing
roughly 300 square miles. Standard
steel-framed, wire-covered crab
pots were used. Fishing was done
at an average depth of 100 fathoms.
The greatest number of crabs
tagged in one day was 1,200. The
plastic tags are retained perman
ently by the crabs and are unaf
fected by the moulting period when
the crab sheds its shell.
The tagging operation was
unique, Powell said, because in
stead of being hauled into a quiet
harbor, the crabs were actually
tagged and released at the location
where they were caught. The
crabs were taken almost immedi
ately from the lifted pots, tagged
and dropped back into the sea. This
created the least possible disturb
ance for the animals, Powell said.
The purpose of the research is
to provide a sound biological basis
for managing the king crab fisher
ies of the State. ,
The industry which provides year
around employment for hundreds
of fishermen and processing plant
workers was an infant Alaskan op
eration in 1950. Today, the harvest
ing and processing of king crab is
a booming eight-million-dollar in
dustry.
The Department commenced its
king crab investigations in the Ko
diak area in 1954 and Powell was
assigned to the studies in 1958.
Dr. Howard Tait, who directs the
research, said the aim of the De
partments research program is to
keep pace with the harvesting of
this valuable resource on a sus
tained yield basis.
DREAMER
Lack of initiative causes a man
to starve today while feeding on
tomorrow’s hopes.
It seems that all the share-the
wealth plans substitute optimism
for sound reasoning.
i
Toastmasters
Meet Tuesday
The Kodiak Island Toastmaster’s
Club will resume fall and winter
activities with a dinner meeting
scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 26.
The meeting will be held at the
Montmartre Inn, beginning at 6:30
p. m. Members are urged to attend
as the program for the coming year
will be discussed. Visitors are wel
come.
President of the club is Chuck
Weir.
George Mahle
Taken By Death
Word has been received here of
the death of a former resident of
Kodiak, Mr. George Mahle, 62, in
Seattle on September 13.
Mr. Mahle, who was born in Ko
diak July 19, 1899, spent his youth
here. He was employed at the Army
Dock during World War II, and
was a member of the Kodiak Police
Department during 1945.
The deceased made his home in
Chignik for several years while
he was employed by the Alaska
Packers. In 1951 Mr. Mahle and his
family moved to Seattle, where he
made his home until the time of his
death.
Mr. Mahle is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Nancy Mahle, and daughter,
Mrs. Paul Callahan, both of Seattle.
Also surviving are four brothers,
Conrad, Anchorage; Robert, Se
attle; Andrew, Oakland, California,
and Otto Mahle, Sr., Kodiak. Other
survivors are five sisters, Mrs.
Margaret Magnusen and Mrs. Ed
Higgins, Kodiak; Mrs. Martha
Swanson, Seattle; Mrs. Guy Burn
Kodiak-Aleutlan
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ham and Mrs. Hal Bergstrom, both
of Oakland.
Services were held at the Luth
eran Church in Seattle, with inter
ment in Greenwood Memorial
Park.
—- -
A miracle man is one who can
weather an attack of love and wis- J
dom at the same time. ' |
Read the classifieds for profit,
use them for results.
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