The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1919-08-22
LATE ARRIVALS
BRING NEWS Of
FISH S1OPPAGE

you people up here may as well
begin to figure on buying your sal
mon in cans, shipped in to you from
the States, for it will not be long
before the seasonal run of fish up
the rivers of Interior Alaska will be
a thing of the past, if that cannery
near the mouth of the Yukon is
permitted to continue operations,
unrestricted by regulations. Thus
spoke an oldtime Alaskan to a rep
resentative of The News upon his
arrival, a few days ago, from the
lower Yukon, where he saw ample
evidence of the harm that is being
wrought to the salmon industry by
the floating cannery that is being
operated by the Carlisle Packing
company at the mouth of Kwiguk
slough, on the south mouth of the
Yukon river
So thoroughly was the fishing
done during the run of king salmon
that few of the fish escaped the
nets and fish-wheels which filled the
stream, from Bering sea to the
point where the main river divides.
a short distance below Andreafski.
AS described to The News, the sys-
tenn of fishing is the most efficient
imaginable, insuring a maximum of
salmon for the cannery-and a
minimum for the natives and whites
living above the cannery.
All along the Yukon. and on the
side streams, the natives, who de-
pend largely upon the salmon for
a living, were waiting in vain for
the fish to arrive. Their wheels re-
volved idly in the current and the
fsh-racks were as bare as the day
they were erected. a few fish
escaped the Gamers, it is true, but,
like those caught by Nenana fish
ermen, practically all the large ones
bore seine marks and were unfit for
human consumption
As already explained in these col
umns, the real menace of the can
merry is not in the present scarcity
OF fish, but in the future total and
permanent depletion of the supply
in preventing the fish from return
ing to their spawning grounds on
the tributaries of the Yukon river.
AT the present rate, it will not take
long to fish the Yukon dry"
The Government, declare those
who know what the conditions are,
is not giving Alaskans any protec-
ton against the cannery demands
for wholesale slaughter The regu-
lations thus far inaugurated, and as
enforced, it is claimed are farce.
For instance, it is pointed out, the
Government came to the rescue of
Northerners, when a protest was
filed against the establishment of
cannery at Andreafski last year, by
closing kwiguk slough to the fisher
men. This slough is a very unim-
portant channel of the Yukon river,
flowing from the south mouth of
the river a short distance from
Boring sea. The south mouth prop
er is the main channel, and it is W
that stream that nearly all the sal
mon make their way to the upper
river. And that is where the fish
ing is being done.
The Carlisle cannery is a floating
concern, easily moved from one
place to another when occasion de-
mands. And when the Yukon has
been emptied of its fish, the outfit
probably will be moved to another
part OF Alaska to continue its work
of destruction. 1t is not an Alas
kan institution, and while employ
ment is given to some Alaskans,
very considerable part of the force
engaged is imported from the States
for the season, as is done by the