Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-16
ALASKAN FISHERIES.
The Act for Their Protection
to be Enforced.
PENALTY FOR CoNTRAvENTIoN.
The Systematic Capture of Fish by
POaching Methods to be
Stopped at Once.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD. !

Associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, March 15.-In company
with D. Brown Goode, of the United
States Fish Commission, Senator Stock
bridge, chairman of the Committee on
Fisheries, to-day called upon Secretary
Window with reference to the act re.
Gently passed for the protection of the
salmon fisheries in Alaska. The acI
makes it unlawful to erect or maintain
any obstruction in the rivers of Alaska
with the purpose or result of impeding OF
preventing the ascent of salmon or other
anadromous species to their spawning
grounds and affixes the minimum penalty
of $3.50 day for violation thereof. Last
year it is said certain parties by means
of dams captured millions of fish, and
they are reported to be making ready for
another campaign this year. The matter
has been referred to the law officers OF
the Treasury Department, who will at
once prepare the necessary orders for car
rying into effect the provisions of the act.
The last section of the Act Senator
Stockbridge says, will be carried out by
the President in due time. Its adoption
was matter OF serious concern to Con-
gress, and its phraseology was changed
by the Senate Committee on Foreign Re-
lations, and it was enacted into law as
follows: Section 3. That Section
1,956 of the revised statutes of the
United States is hereby declared to
include and apply to all the dominion of
the United States in the waters Of Beh-
ring sea, and it shall be the duty of the
President, at timely season in each
year, to issue his proclamation and cause
the same to be published for one month
in at least one newspaper, if any such
there be published, at each United
States port of entry on the Pa
ci6c Coast. warning all persons
against entering said waters for the
purpose of violating the provision of said
section, and he shall also cause one or
more vessels of the United States to dill
gently cruise in said waters and arrest all
persons and seize all vessels found to be,
or about to be, engaged in anv vio-
lation of the laws of the United
States therein. Section 1856 of
revised statutes is as follows: No
person shall kill any otter, mink, martep,
sable or fur seal or other fur-bearing ami
NAL within the limits of Alaska Territory
or in the waters thereof; and every per-
son guilty thereof shall, for each offense,
be fined not less than 5000, nor more than
81 900, or imprisoned not mere than six
months, or both, and all vessels, their
tackle, apparel, furniture and
cargo, found engaged in violation of this
section, shall be forfeited; but the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury shall have power TO
authorize the killing of any such mink,
marten, sable or other fur-bearing ami
mal-except fur seals-under such regu-
lation as he may prescribe, and it shall be
the duty of the Secretary to prevent the
killing of any fur seal and to provide for
the execution of the provisions of this
section, until it is otherwise provided by
law; nor shall he grant any special
privileges under this section.