Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission Seattlenwf
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u. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Daniel C. Roper, Secretary BUREAU OF FISHERIES Frank T. Bell, Commissioner THE SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK, PUGET SOUND, AND THE FRASER RIVER By GEORGE A. ROUNSEFELL and GEORGE B. KELEZ From BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES Volume XLIX Bulletin No. 27 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON I 1938 F.....10 by tho Superintendont of Doeumentl. W..hi...ton. D. C. •••••••••• •• •••••••••• Prico 30 centt THE SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFT. SURE BANK, PUGET SOUND, AND THE FRASER RIVER 1 By GEORGE A. ROUNSEFEI.I., PH. D., and GEORGE B. KELEZ, M. A. CONTENTS Page Page Introduction. By George A. Rounsefell The purse-seine fishery. By George B. and George B. Kelez ------------ - -- - 694 Kelez .. _ 725 The Pacific salmons_- - - - - - - - - - -- .. 695 Drag seines .. _ 725 Fishing districts_------- - ---- - - - - 695 Dcvelopment of the purse seine _ 726 Development of the fisheries_ - - --- - 697 Early seines .. _ 726 Production and value_ ----------- - 699 Scow seines ._ 726 Need for investigation- - - -------- - 700 Development of the modern Acknowledgments _- - ... - - - ----- - --- 701 purse-seine vesseL _________ _ 728 Gill net fishery. By George A. Rounse- Introduction of power _ 728 felL -- - ------- .. ----------- - - - - 701 I mprovements in vessel de- Fraser Rivel'__ -- . _------------ 701 sign _ 729 Early commercial development-_ 701 Increase in vessel size _ 730 Relative importance of different Evaluation of fishing intensity _ 730 species _ 702 Seasonal fluctuations in fleet size_ 730 Number of canneries _ 704 Factors affecting seasonal in- Evaluation of fishing intensity__ 704 tensity_.. _ 730 Company licensing system__ 704 Size of summer and fall Nationality of the fishermen_ 70.5 fleets on Puget Sound _ 731 Number of licenses __ ---- - 705 Size of cape seine fleet _ 733 Units of fishing effort- _- - - 705 Changesfleet in composition. of the_ Changes in gill-net boats_ - 707 734 708 Relation of vessel size to effi- Changes in the gill net- _- - ciency _ Fishing seasons - - - - ------ 709 736 Changes in location of the Seasonal occurrence of each species__ 740 710 Puget. Sound fishery _ 740 canneries ----- -- Cape fishery _ Seasonal occurrence of each 741 species_ - - _- - - - - - - - ---- - -- - 711 Fishing seasons in different districts__ 742 712 Puget Sound _ 742 Puget sound-------- -. - - --- - -- - - - Cape Flattery _ Localities fished_ ------------ - 712 744 Relative importance of various Relation of fishing intensity to sea- species__ .. __ -------------- -- 713 sonal occurrence _ 745 Trap fishery. By George A. RounsefelL_ 713 Relative im~ortance of each species__ 747 713 Puget ound _ 747 Reef nets ---- - - - --- - -- - - - - -- - -- Cape Flattery _ Construction of the traps_- - -- - - -- - 714 748 716 The troll fishery. By George B. Kelez _ 749 N umber in operation----- - ------ - Development of the fishery _ Locations fished_ - - -------- - ----- - 717 Importance _ 749 Cannery expansion from the trap 750 fishery _ 719 Seasonalkings occurrence of cohos and_ Season_ ---- - ------- .. ----------- -- 719 Sport fishing _ 751 Seasonal occurrence of each species - 721 753 Relative importance of each species SockeyefelL Salmon. By George A. Rounse-_ and of each districL ---- - - - - - - --- 723 754 I Bulletin No. 27. Approved for publication MIlY 28. 1938. 693 694 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES Sockeye Salmon-Continued. Page Page Introduction _ 754 Coho Salmon. Changes in abundance _ 789 General life history _ 754 Calculation of trap indices _ 789 spawning _ 754 Calculation of purse-seine index_ 792 Age at maturity _ 755 Trends of abundance _ 794 Sockeye rivers of the region _ 756 King Salmon. By George B. Kelez _ 795 Outer cORst streams _ 756 Introduction _ 795 Puget Sound streams _ 757 795 Gulf of Georgia streams _ 757 t~~arit;o~l~;pt~;e -by diff~;e~t typ~~ Migration in salt water _ 758 797 Total pack of the Fraser River sys- of ~:~~h~;-i~;~a~fo~;s-dls-t;lc-t;= ==== 797 tem .. _ 758 Locality of trap catches _ 798 Method and locality of capture _ 759 Seasonal occurrence in various areas_ 799 Indian fishing in the Frascf- _ 759 Seasonal occurrence of red and white Extent of the Indian fishery _ 760 king salmon _ 800 Catch by commercial gear _ 760 Changes in abundance _ 803 Locality of trap catches _ 762 Pink Salmon. By George A. RounsefelL_ 804 Locality of purse-seine catches__ 762 General life history _ 804 Changes in abundance of different Migration _ 805 portions of the run _ 763 Method and locality of capture _ 805 Changes in abundance _ 765 Seasonal occurrence in northern and Average catch per unit of effort southern districts _ 808 with gill nets _ 766 Changes in abundance between early Index of abundance from traps__ 767 and la,te years _ 808 Purse seines _ 769 Indices of abundance from traps _ 811 Combined index of abundanee__ 772 Abundance from purse-seine catches_ 812 C~m~arisonlndlces of purse-seine and trap_ EXJ~~~:~~~~ _~f_ ~~~~~~~ !~_ ~~~~~ 772 812 Abundance of cycle ending Chum Salmon. By George A. Rounsefell_ 813 in 1934 _ 774 General life history _ 813 Abundancein 1933 of cycle ending_ Method and locality of capture _ 814 775 Seasonal occurrence in northern and southern districts _ Abundancein 1932 of cycle ending_ 814 777 Abundancetraps from Admiralty Inlet_ Abundancein 1931 of cycle ending_ 815 778 Abundance from purse seines _ 815 Coho Salmon. By George B. Kelez _ 781 Summary. By George A. Rounsefell and Introduction _ 781 George B. Kelez _ 817 Life history _ 781 The gill-net fishery _ 817 Spawning _ The trap fishery _ Growth _ 781 817 782 The purse-seine fishery _ 818 Age at maturity _ 783 The troll fishery _ 818 Individuality of populations _ 783 Sockeye salmon _ 819 Locality of capture by different types Coho salmon_~ _ 819 784 King salmon _ 819 of ~~~~h~~-i~; ~~;i-o-;s- dis-t~ic-t~= ==== 784 Pink salmon _ 820 Chum salmon _ Locality of trap catches _ 785 Bibliography _ 820 Seasonal occurrence in various areas_ 786 820 INTRODUCTION By GEORGE A. ROUNSEFELL and GEORGE B. KELEZ The decrease in abundance of sockeye salmon in the waters of Swiftsure Bank, Puget Sound, and the Gulf of Georgia has been readily apparent, but no previous attempt has been made to measure accurately this change, nor has the decline of other species been previously demonstrated. The studies included in this report on the seasonal occurrence of each species, and the history and development of each form of gear, were necessary in arriving at logical conclusions as to the causes and extent of the changes in abundance that have occurred. The interrelations of the various species of salmon and the different types of gear in this region are such that the problem cannot be understood unless all of these factors are considered. Not since the general report in 1899, entitled itA Review of the Fisheries in the Contiguous SALMON AND SALMON FISHERIES OF SWIFTSURE BANK 695 Waters of the State of Washington and British Columbia," by Richard Rathbun, has this region been considered as an entity. The region is of considerable extent, including that portion of the high seas in the vicinity of Swiftsure Bank, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the narrow inland sea, over 200 miles in length, formed by Puget Sound and the Gulf of Georgia (see fig. 1). Of the numerous tributary streams, only the Fraser River penetrates the Coast Range into the interior. Many shorter rivers, however, such as the Skagit, Snohomish, and Squamish on the mainland, and the Cowichan and Nanaimo Rivers on Vancouver Island, together with a host of smaller streams, also furnish spawning grounds for the salmon of these waters. THE PACIFIC SALMONS The Pacific salmons (genus Oncorhynchus) inhabiting this region, like the At lantic salmon (Salmo saZar) and the steelhead trout (Salmo gairdneri), spend varying lengths of time in fresh water after hatching, before descending to the sea where most of their growth is attained. They differ from the Atlantic salmon and the steelhead in that all of the adults, upon returning to fresh water, die shortly after spawning. The adult salmon, returning from the ocean to spawn in the streams from whence they came, form the object of intensive fisheries on Swiftsure Bank, among the inlets and islands of Puget Sound, the Gulf of Georgia, and in the estuary and lower reaches of the Fraser River. This region has five species of Pacific salmon: The sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), known as the red salmon in Alaska and as the blueback on the Skagit, Quinault, and Columbia Rivers; the coho or silver salmon (0. kisutch), also known as the silverside; the king or spring salmon (0. tschawytscha), known as the chinook on the Columbia. River and the quinnat on the Sacramento River; the pink or humpback salmon (0. gorbuscha); and the chum or dog salmon (0. keta), also called keta or fall salmon. In addition to the confusing array of names given above, the immature king salmon are often called blackmouth, a term which is also sometimes applied to immature cohos. In the Gulf of Georgia the immature cohos taken early in their third summer are termed bluebacks. In size the pinks are the smallest, averaging around 4 pounds. The sockeyes average under 6 pounds, the cohos about 7-8 pounds, and the chums about 9 pounds. The kings are by far the largest, averaging about 22 pounds, with occasional indi viduals of 60 pounds and upwards. The pink salmon are unique in that they appear in abundance over the greater part of this region during the odd-numbered years, whereas only a few thousand are taken in the even-numbered years. FISHING DISTRICTS The region may be roughly divided into fishing districts, not only geographically, but also in accordance with the types of gear used and the abundance of the various species.