The Alaska daily empire., 1920-07-29


 solved, after doing much to make prisoners of war and their families happy.
 locally. As time goes on, Alaska will come more and more to the | point of furnishing not only the raw materials but other essentials inclt ing capital and labor necessary to | reap the wealth of the salmon har
 vest With the approach of such
 conditions, Alaska should by all means have full control over tHt fisheries as has any state in the | Union.
 Scientific Study, Need Among other needs of the fisher | ies of Alaska may be mentioned the great importance of the further S.
 entific investigation and study tC afford reliable data useful not only
 in the framing of legislation and in kindred matters, but in every prac tical development of the industry The scientific and practical must collaborate tremendously if real prog
 ress is to result. More complete sta
 tistical data. especially as to catches of salmon from each stream, would be of great help in making accurate scientific studies and forecasts of conditions. The trade should co operate fully in this matter wher submitting returns to the Govern ment as required by law.
 There is need of more fish-culture stations properly conducted and lo cated for it is generally conceded that hatchery operations are highly essential, although there have been differences of opinion as to some ot the methods heretofore in vogue The rearing of young salmon before liberation should receive more atteu. tion, which of course means the need of larger appropriations. l. seems especially necessary to under take the propagation of humpbaci, salmon in Alaskan waters. Atten tion has heretofore been given over chiefly to the propagation of red salmon. Southeastern Alaska affords the best field for humpback work.
 More Patrol Boats There is need of more patroi boats to enable the Government te enforce the fisheries laws and regu lations. The five available boats art utterly inadequate to look after tht great fisheries of Alaska. Thert should be at least two or three times as many vessels for the work. A. an added function they would 5t useful in preventing or suppressinl fish-trap piracy which has become serious in the last season or two ir Southeastern Alaska.
 "The personnel of the Bureau O Fisheries is altogether too limited for the very extensive field of oper ations in Alaska. Less than a dozen regular employees are available fo' purely fisheries work. The numbe! should be trebled. Greatly increased appropriations are also urgently re quired; the lack of funds has been pronounced handicap.
 'It is very important that th' greatest care be exercised in SC curing high grade product. Occas ionally packers in the high stress o' competition an< in view of higi market returns have been lax if
 seeing that the product was of tn | best possible grade. This is very
 poor policy, as it reflects upon thf
 business as a whole and it's evil ei | fects are far-reaching and inimica l 10 the business; there is no sure
 way of discouraGing the use of sal
 reach the consumer. The remedy +
 not so much in the method of pack ing as it is in seeing that stall fish are not canned. especially fisl
 which have been transported lons distances or have been out of th'
 water considerable length of tim'
 before being canned. In this con
 nection it seems clear that seine
 caught fish are more apt to be unfi
 than t5ose from traps because of tn
 probability of being out of the wate
 too long before use.
 Floating Traps Rapper "A noed of the fishery is absolute prohibition of large offshore floating traps. Within the last year or tw' improvements in the construction of floating traps have made it pos slble to anchor devices of this kin, in exposed offshore waters wher their use previously was not con sidered possible. These traps shoul be prohibited not only for the reasol