The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-07-05
PROSPECTS ARE GOOD FOR FINE
 SALMON PACK
Commissioner O'Malley Be. lieves Output Will Be
 Good Here for Season

The prospects are gOOQ TOT fairly prosperous year in the sal mon fisheries with conditions some what spotted and some uneasiness is felt over the pink salmon run in the Ketchikan district. said Com missioner Henry O'Malley of the United States Bureau of Fisheries who arrived here yesterday after noon from Seattle, on the Brant, Capt. E. L Hunter. Dr. 0. A.. Cramton, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., is accompanying the Commissioner.
 They will remain here until to- morrow, sailing then for Seward and points as far west as the Pribilof Islands. The Commissioner will return here between July 20 and 25 and remain several weeks.
 Nushagak Run Heavy
 Reports of fishing conditions up to July l, it was said, are not dis couraging. The run has been heavy at Nushagak and the boats in that area have been placed on a limit. Naknek and Kvichak have been poor to date. Egegik runs were fair. Ugashik was poor when the season opened on June 26 but has gradually improved.
 The Port Moeller district has been fair but the pack is short of last season. This possibly is due to severe storms that have been persistent in that area The Pacific American Fisheries reported 1000 cases, which is 2,000 cases under the pack of last year up to the same date.
 The Ikatan, King Cove and Squaw Harbor area shows the Pacific Am erican Fisheries with 32,000 cases at Sqaaw sEazbor, 2o,0o0 being &eds. It will be recalled, the Commis- stoned said, that this area has a 96-hour weekly closed season im- posed upon it due to the expansion of gear in the area this year. King Cove has 4,800 cases and Ikatan is reported to be normal. The latest report from False Pass indicated the run to be consider ably below normal.
 Chignik in Fine Shape
 The Chignik area is in fine shape. said the Commissioner. The escapement through the weir to date is 966,000 and the commercial catch is 5000, or 26,00O cases. The fish continue to run very heavily.
 On the other hand Karluk is very poor. The escapment to date has been but 332041 and the catch 64,- 3O8 reds 514 kings, 32,796 pinks and a few echoes and chums. Fishing operations have been closed down for the first three weeks in July and the area may be kept closed for the remainder of the season unless there is much improvement in the run. No reports are avail able for the balance of the area around Kodiak Island.
 Prince William Sound, particular ly on the west side, is having a fine run of pinks for the so-called off season. Copper River has shown a marked improvemnt over the last few years The red pack will be about 75,000 cases as against 45,- 900 for last year.
 Icy Strait Normal
 The Icy Strait region is normal so far and the indications point to a good season there. The Com missioner was uneasy over the out look for the pink run in the Ket- chikan district. This variety has two-year cycle and the 1927 run was under normal. A close watch is being kept on the area. At Anan Creek the weir escapehent to date has been but 15,000 fish. This is one of the smallest in the past five years.
 Survey Spawning Areas
 The Commissioner will make personal inspection of the spawn ing areas in the Illiamna section. Leaving here tomorrow, accompan- jed by Dr. Cramton, he will go to Seward and take the Teal from there to Iliamna Bay. He will go to the village of Illiamna and be met there by another one of the Bureaus boats. He will go through the spawning grounds and proceed to Bristol Bay, visiting Unalaska, touching at Kvichak and inspect the weir installed there, then pro- ceeding to Pribilof Islands for an inspection of the seal herds. He will return via the south side of the Alaska Peninsula and visit var ious coastal points enroute here. He expects to be back here be- tween July 20 and 25, and remain ,.t;I +ta ayJ If fl,o f;cbipo caacop