The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-09-27
THE FISH OF GESTERNEAR

It may be true, as has been recently as serted, that the fishing industry of Alaska i in its infanCy There is probably reason io the statement inasmuCh as only few kinds o fish are now being caught for commercial purposes. It is equally true that the salmon canning branch of the industry is declining steadily.
 The cause is to be found in the laxity o regulations and the practical non-entorcemen of those which we have Juneau and vicnit, was greatly concerned over "fish pirates during the past season, meaning by the term persons who were robbing established traps making raids on cannery property The req fish piracy, however, is being carried on to day by established companies, concerns which, for the sake of immediate financial re ward are systematically exterminating th' salmon tribe.
 The case of the cannery on the lowe Yukon river is illustrative of how it is being done Located near the mouth of the Yukon and according to statement made in Fair banks by Field Manager HaWkinson las spring fishing even outside the south mOutf of that stream it's fishermen can almost shu off the salmon run from the upper river, glV ing them no chance to reach their spawning grounds The Carlisle cannery on the Hukor last season packed 5OOOO cases of fish, large ly king salmon, according to employees of tha company who recently arrived here. From above the cannerv to the headWaters of botl the Yukon and Panama rivers, in the kOyukul region, the fishermen are feeling the effect! of the cannerv, and hundreds of natives are in destitute circumstances on its account IT all the land there is a serious fish shortage while the packers are shipping sufficien quantity Outside to more than supply every need
 Employees of the Carlisle company say that 1t plans to repeat the operations ot ttn year next season. And judging from presen conditions, we may expect similar tlsf shortage next year. The packing interests claim that the shortage is due to other req sons than their operations But they do no dispute the fact that they can, if they so de. sire, block the stream to the salmon run They control the channels thru which the fish must pass Their power over the supply is prac tically unlimited And this power is too grea for any set of men, no matter how benevolent, ly inclined they may be.
 The situation faced by interior Alaska is prevalent in Alaska generally. "Alaska': dwindling silver horde must be built up a once if the salmon industry of the north Pa cfic is to continue according to Dr. C. H Gilbert, zoology professor of Stanford Uni versity, who has long been recognized as g world authority on the salmon. Dr. Gilbert recently arrived in Seattle from the Nortl where, as special assistant in the United States bureau of fisheries, he spent the sum- mer studying conditions.
 Silver wanderers of the sea, the sOCkeye the king and the other salmon, are simply be- ing fished out, Dr. Gilbert reports. "Witl every canner eager to prevent the fish iron returning to their fresh water spawning ground and fishermen and gill netters catch ing tons of salmon trout which were only half grown salmon, the salmon simply hasnt chance for survival" he asserted
 Stringent protection laws are needed, Dr Gilbert believes "Man destroyed the salmon horde and it will be for man to build it uI again if the salmon industry is to continue, he said recently "Only strict legislation that will close the principal fishing grounds tc trapmen and nets for years to come will pre- vent the extinction of the salmon. Today rivers that once supplied the largest number