The Ketchikan miner., 1915-01-21
at the top and bottom, was intended

by this act of Congress, For several seasons past, however. it has been ! the custom to use shove.downs fasten- ed at the lower end of the pot. These shove downs have been laid at ar angle, thus causing the opening for the passage of fish to be much mar rower at the bottom than the 25 feet | preserii ed by law; in fact, quite often she shovcdowns have been so short that 1t low tide no opening whatever cxsisted. This is obviously wrong. and notwithstanding previous GUS toms in the enforcement of tho law it is my belief that corrective meas ures are necessary to prevent further continuation of this unsatisfactory method of closing traps. If, as some men contend, it is impracticable to open the heart walls on each side of the pot for the full width of 25 feet rom top to bottom, the law should te revised. My belief is that it is entirely feasible to provide such an opening without working undue hard ships upon the fishing interests. do not think it necessary to drop the web entirely to the bottom, but feel that if it is lowered to approx imatelv feet below the lowest minus tide all purposes will be served.
 The complaint of some canery men that hardship will be inflicted by the requirement that 25 feet of the heart walls shall be opened to the ssage of fish at low tide as well as Ugh tide does not seem well found- cd. as competent and experienced trap man is authority for the state ment that it is quite possible to $, construct traps that it will not be particularly great hardship to ef that of course at times when the tide is strong or if there is a considerable sea running there may be some trouble i'll opening the full width Of 5 feet. He further stated that if the 25-foot feature of the law is en forced literally the practice of con structing heart walls of wire netting must necessarily. be modified in thai the 25-foot section will have to be constructed of trap web rather than wire. He stated that haul-dows can fe attached on the pile next to the not and the pile 9 feet away from the pot whereby the web can be lrawn bown by means of a hand Tindlass of the type common in rais ing and lowering the pots. The wei section thus lifted or lowered can N attached at each side by means
 rings sliding on piece of cahl.. -retched taut or on iron pipe.
 Under the circumstances as re 'i>ed just above. and taking into ac
 mt the need of imposing addition
 restrictions upon trap fishing as 9uducted at present I am disposed recommend that hereafter no ex
 ntion te made in the requirement. at the heart walls of all traps op
 -l..1 |
 full width of 9 feet on eacl -i le next to the pot. so as to permit 2 free passage of samon and othe fishes, both at low stages and hie'
 lges of the tide
 There has been a tendency in sort
 st Alaska to use aprons arcoss th
 outh of the tunnel for closing r,- ses. This is good method if $ honestly applied, but in my iuda
 ent it is susceptible of fraud. for ii
 quite impossible for Governmen
 0et"r to determine exsent at oroe' 1vpenditure of time. whether the pron extends to the bottom of the -~ap. This is an important point 7iace the water is often 50, 60. O. aven 70 of so feet or more in deptl, rt the entrance to the pot, thougl Ire pot usually does not extend to tho , 9ttom. It is my belief that tho law should be made to specify that the mouth of each tunnel shall bo closed by both means of an apron md by drawing the tunnel through ont its entire length to one side oe fhe pot. This double precaution vii assure suitable closing.
 Purse Seining
 Purse seines are more numerous in Alaska than traps, and their aggre eate catch of salmon exceeds that of