The Alaska daily empire., 1922-12-14

,S7 per cent of the value of the total output of the fisheries and for this reason received the major attention of the bureau. In addition to the dimlted regular personnel, a large temporary patrol force was utilized during the active fishing season of 1921, and in 1922 it was still further increased, constituting the largest force the bureau has ever put into the field Conservation of the in- dustry is believed best secured lhrough the prevention of illegal fishing or other violations of the laws.
 The production Of halibut, herring, trout, shrimp and mild-cured, pickled, and fresh salmon was greater ill 1921 than in the previous year, but, on the whole, the industry declined bdth in produotion and value, the heaviest loss being in salmon can ming. In 1921, 15,070 persons were employed in the fisheries, the active investment of capital was s39,001,S74, and the value of products was $24I 0S6,S67 The output Of canned sal mon was 2,59s,S26 eases of 48 one pound cans each, valued at $19,632,- 1 744, decrease of approximately fl per cent in quantity and 45 per cent in value as compared with the pre- vaous year.
 'In October and November, 1921, three hearings were held for the consideration of necessary changes in the regulations regarding salmon fishing, and as result the depart. merit issued orders, effective January 1 l, 1922, whereby all commercial fish ing in the streams and lakes of Al { aska, and within a zone extending i 300 yards eff the mouths of all. streams, is now prohibited, with the excerition of the Ugashik and kar- lnk Rivers, where, owing to peculiar geographic conditions, specified dis trcts remain open to fishing. l Reserves Are Created
 "On February IF. 1922, an execu- tive order was issued creating a reservation designated as the Alaska ! Peainsuia Fisheries Reservation, ex- i tending eastward from the Aleutian Islands Reservation to line from 1 Sutwak Island, to Cape Menshikof, on
 the northern shore of the Alaska Peninsula, and including the Shuma- gin Islands and the territorial waters adjacent to these lands, and also the lands of the Aleutian Island Reser- vaItion Regulations governing fish ! cry operations within this reserva- tion were also issued. and permits were granted by the department for 1922 to plants already established within the reserved area.
 'No change has been made in the Alaska fishery law since it's adop- toon, June 26, 1906, although efforts have been made repeatedly by the 1 Department of Commerce, Alaska representatives, and those engaged in the fishery industry to obtain a re- vision Various bills have at times been pending in Congress, but little progress was ever made because of opposition which developed to cer- 1 tain features of the proposed legisla- 1 tion. The limited authority. of the l department has been supplemented i by the issuance of executive orders 1 in some instances, which have per | mitted the restriction of operations | within specified areas. This is a means. however, which properly may be used only in emergencies, and does not obviate the need of general revision of the fisheries law to cover new branches of the industry which have developed and new situations which have arisen in recent years. AIaska Fur-seaI Service
 "The importance of the work O: the furseaa service Is growing from year to year with tine increase in the size of the seal and fox herds and the larger number of skins taken. As a result of experiments improved methods of handling the fur-seal skins are being gradually put into effect on the islands. se
 "Sealsltins secured in 1921 num- bered 23,6S1, practically all of which were from animals three to four years old. The number taken in 1922 through the regular killing sea- son that ended on August 5, was 30.261. of which 29,153 were from three-year-olds. The census of the seal herd as of August 10. 1921. in- dicated 581.443 animals of all ages. of which 176.655 were breeding fe- males. and the same number were newborn young.
 Under the contract with Fouke Fur Company, for the dressing dye ing. and sale of the fur.seal and fox skins from the Prtbilof Islands, two 1 public auction sales were held at St. Louis in the fiscal year 1922. A total of 22.s76 dressed. dyed and machined fur-seal skins were dis posed of. and gross proceeds of the | s.