The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-06-04
AN UNJUST TREATY

Under the above caption the Herald
of May 20 contained the editorial
printed below. The Journal is pleased
that the Herald has done this. 1t
appears that the British-American
commissioners have agreed upon a
treaty to prevent the extinction of
the sockeye salmon. The treaty as
described by the Herald will do
nothing of the kind, but will fur
Their strengthen the hold of the fish
trust upon this valuable food supply.
The number Of sockeyes taken by
the purse seiners is inconsiderable
as compared with the enormous
number taken by fish traps.
The figures for the number Of
sockeyes caught by purse seiners in
1918 was $4,000.
Caught by gill nets, $4,000.
Caught by traps, $4,000.
There were 344,000 more fish TAX
en- by traps than by purse seins and
gill nets added.
Then would it not seem reasonable,
if the extinction of this valuable
food fish is to be prevented, the
right thing to do would be to cut
out fish traps.
Then use your efforts to prevent
the ratification of the treaty.
The commission was either stuffed
with misinformation and did not see
the fine hand of the fish monopoly
in this treaty or they deliberately
tried to do what the Washington
legislators, owned by the monopo-
lies, failed to do.
The Canadians want to save the
fish and so do the Americans, but
this treaty would do the thing it
proposes to do-destroy the sockeye
salmon industry.
Read the Herald's editorial:
There is an Canadian
treaty now in committee at Wash
ington that has been duly signed and
awaits only ratification to be effeec-
tive. 1t deals with the salmon fish
ing Of the Pacific Northwest. It's
purpose is to save the sockeye sal
mon from destruction And it pro-
poses to do so by virtually prohibit
ing the use Of purse seines and per
hitting fish traps to operate.
Everett is interested because its
canneries depend very largely upon
the purse seiners. The ratification
of this treaty in this form will be
deadly blow to an important local
industry It will put out of bust
ness about p fishing boats that
make Everett their home port and
many more that headQuarter in Bal
lard and Tacoma.
1T will do this because this treaty
bars the use Of purse seines within
2,4OO feet of any trap or net And
then it goes further: 1t bars purse
seines from the real fishing banks.
from the San Juan island waters
The prohibited area lies in American
waters north Of a line drawn from
the north end of WILDLY island to
Trial Island. which is off Victoria.
North and east Of these points purse
seines are not to be permitted
GAS before stated this is to save
the sockeye salmon of the Fraser
river, to give this species a chance
to propagate, that stop may be
put to the steady decrease in the
runs" that indicate the sockeye is
becoming extinct.
"The purpose is commendable,
but
while the purse seiners are bar
are permitted 90 operate in them.
They are located along about 100
miles Of shore line, a fish trap to
every half-mile
And the fish trap is quite eff
fective in sharing the sockeye. Fig
ures for 1913 show that even when
the purse seines were permitted free
ly to operate, $4,000 sockeyes were
caught by that method, $4,000 were
caught in gill nets and $4,000 were
caught in traps
Seems as though if we really
wished to save the sockeye the thing
to do would be to close the fish traps
first, then prohibit gill nets-used
chiefly in Canadian waters and on the
Fraser river where they are the only
method Of catching salmon that is