Fisheries Develop Under Local Control
Biologists Assist Salmon In Spawning
(Continued from last week)
By Miriam J. Angell
Creation of the Territory of
Alaska’s first Department of Fish
eries and the Fisheries Board in
1949 meant for Alaska greater
concentration of local research in
the fields of commercial and sport
fisheries, and long range planning
for rebuilding the fish population
until sustained maximum yields
could be realized. This latter, of
course, is yet a goal for the future.
Little by little, a few steps at a
time, with the understanding and
cooperation of the Federal agency,
the Fish and Wildlife Service, a
few change* in management oc
curred; with wise recommenda
tions by the local fishermen, can
nery operators, and businessmen
who sat on the Fisheries board,
coupled with the findings of re
searchers of the Department of
Fisheries, some more local control
of fishing was possible.
Each year also brought expan
sion of watershed management
which has liuthered the life span
and spawning capabilities of
salmon. In the Westward area,
which include* the Kodiak area,
an example of a watershed proj
ect will explain the meaning of
that kind of management and how
it makes it possible to breed more
salmon.
Salmon lay their eggs on the
gravelly beaches of freshwater
streams and lakes. From millions
of eggs a fraction survive, become
fingerlings, live for a year, or
several years in the waters of
their birth before they go down
stream and out to sea. When ma
ture, those that survive without
being eaten by seals, walruses,
killer whales and other large fish,
or are not caught by fishermen,
return to spawn in the same lakes
or streams in which they were
born. There is nothing haphazard
about the salmon’s choice of breed
ing ground—out of the thoussands
of possibilities he chooses that one
waterway that leads to his birth
place.
Many choice spawning grounds
lie unused because the streams
leading to them are choked with
dams of nature’s happenstance or
beavers’ designs, or often because
waterfalls, too steep for even the
doughty salmon, impede the way.
Access to the inaccessible spawn
ing grounds would eventually al
low thousands, or even millions
more salmon to spawn, mature
and reach the fisherman’s net.
Hence, the egg planting pro
ject on Afognak Island which be
gan with construction of fish lad
ders in some of the streams leading
to Pauls Basin. In one major
stream, Laura Creek, a ladder was
built, allowing salmon to ascend in
gradual stages over a 12-foot water
fall, an insurmountable barrier to
most tired salmon. Eggs were then
planted by hand in the gravel of
Pauls Basin in the same manner
as mother salmon would have
spawned them. To prove out the
problem and solution a project of
this kind must be continued for a
period of 5 years; with success, the
egg stocking can be continued or
not, as the increase of fish war
rants.
Guy Powell, Roy Rickey and Bob Simon
Staff Photo
in another experiment of this
type in 1958, when eggs were not
readily availabel to stock a tribu
tary stream of Frazer Lake on Ko
diak Island, some ripe red salmon
from a nearby stream were put in
a 10-gallon drum of water chilled
by blocks of ice, and were flown
in the passenger seat of a Super
cub to Midway Creek where they
were released by hand. A later
check showed all except one fe
male salmon had spawned.
These two examples of water
shed management and manage
ment biology working hand in
hand, are typical of the specialized
and custom treatment of the prob
lems handled by the Department,
each problem different and yet
part of the whole problem of re
Photography
^portraits George C. Ameigh, Jr.
^WEDDINGS
lattcc frKOlopULfcktl
^BANQUETS
^parties Phone 486—2472
J^AERIALS * Box 1133
^landscapes Kodiak Alaska
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PHONE 486—5244
-;—
habilitating Alaska’s fisheries.
During the 1950’s, shrimp re
search was started on a small scale,
then expanded when the Depart
ment discovered more shrimp beds
than anyone dreamed existed in
this area. In 1958 a newly invented
shrimp peeler suddenly made this
tiny crustacean economically feas
able, and thus an important indus
try is being developed in Kodiak.
In 1954 the Department began the
study of King crab; today it is one
of the major industries of Kodiak
and the city has declared itself
King Crab Capital of the World.
Other projects were begun, or
expanded, among them educational
films to aquaint the public with
the need for conservation meas
ures. As it happened, some of the
films describing the fishing indus
try also served as promotional
films for the industry and the re
gion and some towns. The King
Crab Story is outstanding in this
respect.
SUNDAY ■
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CHICKEN DINNER
S P.M. Till 9 P.M.
ADULTS CHILDREN
^ (UNDER 12)
$A00 **50
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A Big Platter of Delicious Golden Fried Chicken
Bowl of Vegetables Bowl of Mashed Potatoes
Plus Rolls, Butter and All the Trimmings
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* THE fl] HATH) HAT HE Jflfl *
Between the times of voting and
Presidential approval of statehood
for Alaska, as the Territory pre
pared to assume control of all but
Federal lands, Washington decided
the new state should wait one year
before it would take charge of its
fish and game. And so it was not
until January 1st., 1960 that Alaska
received autonomy in this field,
though it had voted out the oner
ous fish trap as rapidly as possible
once Alaskans could vote as citi
zens of a soverign state.
The Alaska Department of Fish
(Continued on Page 11)
NOTICE
Dr. E. E. Bach, Optometrist, will be
in Kodiak to do eye examinations on
Feb. 26 through March 2.
For an appointment call Mrs. Carl
Huer at 486—2451 after 5 p. m. and
weekends, or 486—2929 daytime.
We are now taking applications
from men and women
interested in employment
in our crab and shrimp
operations.
King Crab, Inc.
Call 486-2205