New-York tribune., 1902-12-03
SALMON INDUSTRY lNENA CED
CANADA PLANNING TO DEAL DEADLY
BLOW TO THE AMERICAN FISHER
MEN OF PUGET SOUND.

w-Whatcom Wash. Dec. . (SpeciaD.-As the
result OF action taken by certain Canadians inter
ested in the business of salmon canning. there is
more than a possibility that one OF the first Of
fcial acts of Raymond Prefontaine. the newly ap-
pointed Canadian Minister of Marine and Fish
, cries may be to deal deadly blow to the Amer1-
can salmon industry of Puget Sound.
Hitherto the laws OF Canada have strictly for
bidden the of fish traps in Canadian waters,
hut such traps have for some time past been
operated extensively in the United States limits
The American fishermen have the traps so ar
ranged as to intercept the fish after they have
nassed In from the ocean through the Straits of
San Juan de Fuca their way up TO the Fraser
and other rivers emptying into this great inland
sea. The employment Of these traps now threat
ems to depete the salmon fisheries of British Co
lumbia and as the Canadian Government is power
less to interfere with the American fishermen II
is understood that the authorities at Ottawa are
seriously considering the advisability of allowing
Canadians 10 enjoy the privileges afforded their
American rivals.
4 renregentatfve Of one of the largest canneries
of the British Columbia coast has just had an in
tervlew with Minister Prefontaine in the course
of which the delegate, Mr.. Todd pointed out
that Il would only be common Justice TO give the
Canadians the right to traps. The statement
was also made that II the traps were advan-
tageously placed off the southern coast OF Van
couver Island salmon at all would reach the
fisheries in United States waters
That this statement was by no means far fetched
is seen in the anxiety with which the Puget Sound
people are awaiting definite news from Ottawa.
The interests involved are enormous. Fairhaven,
which is practically suburb and part of New
w hatcom boasts ''the largest canning plant on
the globe" The Pacific American Fisheries Com
panv capitalized at 5000 000 is located there The
company's plant covers fifteen acres it operates
twelve steamers. has forty traps and employs two
thousand Other canneries IN this vicinity in
cude the Fairhaven Canning Company. the Rice
Fisheries Company and the Puget Sound and AS
toria Packing Company. These and their neighbors
give employment to about ten thousand men, and
yield total annual revenue OF well upon sS,Go.0oO
These enormous profits have been made possible
by the use of the salmon traps that have aroused
the ire of the Canadians and that have undoubt-
edly diverted hundreds of thousands of fish from
Canadian waters. The traps large nets. hung
are placed in shallow water along the path taken
by the salmon on their way from the sea TO the
many long arms. and once salmon has entered
is already gutted which case it will be released
and allowed to take up once more 1ts Journey 10
tne inland waters whence. in it's youth, it first
Such an opening Of the fish corral SIS is by ,n, no
Island but a. few miles from New-Whatconl. more
than y f e oWed esp %
the canneries they could not be marketed at even
Naturally the news from Ottawa is of vital In
6ap to IN the Of M Sound
even more directly the actual fishermen. the Cap
from Sweden or Norway. as rule. sell their catch
to the canneries, instead of working for regular
wages The price they receive for the fish runs
at times as high 25 cents each, though it will
sometimes drop to low five cents, and. in
the case above, is liable to fall occasionally
even below this latter figure On the whole, how
ever. the fishermen make steady and fairly large
income. and if Mr. Prefontaine accedes to the re
quest OF the British Columbia people 1t will
financial ruin to many of the Puget Sound toiers.
It is certain. therefore. that strenuous opposition
the project will develop, but the general i'm
preston seems to be that there IS in bor-
rowing trouble Accordingly until definite
advces are received from the Canadian capital the
canneries and the fishermen Of the Sound will hope
for the best and at the same time will make ready
~ face tbay