The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-04-22

matters came up for discussion. among them being the food fish sdp- ply. It was recently published that a cannery would be established by the Carlisle Canning company at Andreafsky, on the lower Yukon.
 While no serious objection is reg istered against the Carlisle Canning company at the present time, they having'their permit to proceed with their operations and having gone to considerable expense in the prelimi- naries, the object of the council is to prevent the wholesale and indis- criminate fishing of the food fish supply of Interior Alaska and to prevent the fishing out of the Yu- kon as has been done in many riv- CTS on the coast. It is requested by the council that measures be taken to propa gate the fish supply for Alaska the same as is beine done for the rivers on the Outside. The communication which has been sent to the commissioner of fish cries at Washington, D. C., is as follows:
 Fairbanks, Alaska, Apr. 16, 1918. Commissioner of Fisheries,
 Washington, D. c.
 Dear Sir:
 "On behalf of the inhabitants of the Yukon watershed particularly, and of Alaska generally, we, the Territorial Council of Defense, after due investigation and mature con- sideration, feel it our bounden duty to protest most emphatically against the issue of permits for the estab- lishment of salmon canneries on the Yukon or it's tributaries and to the extension of fishing privileges to these waters until steps have been taken to protect and propagate the salmon.
 "In view of the undisputed fact that the establishment of a cannery at Mile 55 on the Copper River in four years completely cut off the salmon from the upper reaches of that river and depleted the supply in three seasons fishing to such an extent that the cannery is being dismantled, we contend that the samc menace confronts the residents of the Yukon Valley, and that the ex- tension of intensive commercial fish ing privileges, to these rivers, will inevitably result in the Complete de- struction of this most important food supply.
 During the past ten years there has been a gradual decline in the salmon run throughout the Yukon watershed, caused, no doubt, by the intensive fishing permitted in the coastal waters of Alaska, the fish being intercepted in their journey toward their native waters.
 "This shortage has had a. very di- sastrous result upon the develop ment of this immense interior em- pire, causing great loss and hard ship upon the pioneer prospector and native, who depend upon salmon largely for their own consumption and almost entirely to feed their beasts of burden-the dog.
 "The price of smoked, dried sal mon has risen from 5c-7c ten years ago to 25e-30c today and almost out of the market at that.
 "In the Alaska-Yukon watershod the loss of dogs this year by star q tion and enforced slaughter owing to shortage of salmon is conserva- lively estimated at s50,000 and the attendant losses and hardships are beyond computation or comprehon- sion, as practically all supplies and mails are hauled with dogs to the various small camps scattered throughout this district.
 "To further aid or permit the de pletion of this salmon supply would prove disastrous to the natives and fuinous to the prosperity and devel- opment of our people and resources.
 With proper management and wise regulations strictly enforced the fisheries of the Yukon would in few years rival those of the Colum- bia and Fraser, but the history of the salmon in the latter two rivers should not be forgotten in dealing with the salmon of the Yukon.
 'It would take decades to replace the fish if once destroyed, while three or four years of practical pro- tection and propagation before riv- CTS are fished out will create sur plus which can be maintained in definitely.
 We respectfully urge that the Bureau of Fisheries or the depart ment of Commerce institute a com. prehensive and thorough investiga- tion and survey by competent and practical men, with a view of as- certaining if any surplussage of sal