The Alaska daily empire., 1914-12-16
nHI M cl.eh pacra..a..

DORIS 10 have 8leaaHy 0eorea5el since 1908. think however thRt ih'e de- J craase Is more apparonl thau real l and is really due to ine eci ieat iH ! Che early years the tusns ol siii ! inete Included only one sae mesh eeqd ! bg the asbermen As iho dl6escnl rnn8 appear Che hsnermon change 1 rom larger to smaller mesh let OF YIee yorsa, and t Is aometime7 ] daaoult to obtain lbe numbe actuaily ueca Tl ig also sometime9 Che case that eeriain hshefmen part'eipate ln the dahery for but one apecios talE- ine up some other lne Of work dur. inr the rest ol the seaaon As eIli Inets catch but very amail part of 1 the salmon taken in Southeast Ale. ! ska this discrepancy. even t t occur. red win have little enect on Che com. ! paIison.
 1 The 6guTes for seines include both Ihaul and purse seines as the Bureau reports do not show separately the ] catches Of these two forms Of appas ratus-
 In the trap and seine aaheriea the catch to the individual net varies from year 10 year, but shows absolutely no signs of decreaae. the catch in llgi8 in both instances exceeding that Of 1906. The catch per seine in 1912 waa the lowest of any year S9'6aA ] land this was due to che biz fishermen 8 strike of that year when most of the considerable part Of the season.
 in considering the salmon fisheries one very important fact should never Ibe lost sight of Al salmon which Fenter the streams for spawning pur- poses die after that operation haa been performed, and as but Q limited number are required to keep up the supply an that arc allowed to enter the streams above the number needed are virtually wasted
 The Remedy.
 However, the fact that the fisheries of AlasGa have not yet begun to de- Ecllne should not lead ua into Che fatal error Of supposing that they never lwlu and every efort should be put forth, not alone by the goyemment but also by tho fishermen, to conserve these valuable fisheries ln every way possible. There are number of ways in which this may be done. viz. (i) By laws regulating the number and size of apparatus used in Ge various sections; (2) fixing closed seasons in which no fish may be taken; (S) fish cultural operations; (i) inspection ot prepared producti (5) limiting the can. ming season, and (6) by preventing the pollution Of the streams and other waters freQuented by the fish.
 CD Many think that comprehensive regulations should be adopted fixing the number and size of tho various forms of apparatus used in the diner ent sections, the number to be based lupou the runs of a given region. This would probably be the most effective method for controlling the fisheries, lhut before it can be applied intelli- gently in many sections of Alaska it will be necessary for the scientists to make extended observations of the extent. direction and duration of the various runs.
 % At present the Alaska law pres cribes that except In certain exempt ed areas. all fishing, except with hook land line and gan, must be suspended each week from o'clock Saturday evening until o'clock Monday morn ing. period of 36 hours.
 The primary purpose of closed season is to permit a percentage or the run to set by the fishing gear covers but a short section of the river OF sound this probably answers the purpose. but that in waters Ike Icy Strait and Lynn Canal, along whose shores for 9 distance of 9 couple of hundred miles fishing gear is operat- ed, it merely means that the gear set ] in the upper reaches win catch most of the fish which escaped the gear in the lower reaches.
 Gamers Offer Sugestlone.
 Many suggestions for accomplishing the purpose sought have been made. Some would have 9 longer weekly closed period, but the present season could not,be heightened much without seriously curtailing fishing operations and lt is questionable whether such action would materially benefit the fish. Others would stop ai fishing for week in Che middle of Che sea- son, but this would benefit only the one species than running. Stll others would have a progressive closed sea, son. ylz Say 24 hours over the lower reaches. the succeeding 24 hours over an area a little higher up, and so on until the fish which started during the first closed period have got above the upper line of nets and thus would have an mimpeded pas sage to the spawning grounds.
 The latter proposition, if feasible. would be an ideal method, 9s twocld amply protect the fish with the least inconvenience to fishing operations. Unfortunately we have not st pres ent sufficient data as to tho move ments Of the salmon when on Che way to the spawning beds to make t possible to legislate with certainty along the lines suggested. It is to be hoped that tbe United States Bureau Of Fisheries will begin an invoatiga- ton of the migrations of the Alaska salmon at Che earliest possible mo' ment, and thus furnish us with accu- ....t l,t. .,,,,-,, tr-fioh fo hasa l0rie-