Seward daily gateway., 1925-11-24
CORDOVA UNION
 OF FISHERMEN
 SEND PETITION
RECOMMENDATiO TO BUREAU OF FISHERIES REGARDING
 LATE REGULATIONS
SEAL ENEMY OF RED SALMON
Wants Fish Commission Stripped of Authority to Confiscate Boat
 and Fishing Gear

The Fishermen's Union of Cordova recently sent to the Washington office of the Bureau of Fisheries the follow ing recommendations:
 we would recommend that condi- tions with a few changes be brought back to the spring of 1924. That the boats be limited to $50 fathoms of net.
 That stake nets be allowed. That the fishermen be kept as before 500 yards outside the mouths of sloughs, but otherwise at the grass banks set nets be permitted there 1900 feet apart in all directions. That zone be set inside each bar to be reserved for drifting only. This zone to commence at the mouth of the bar in it's full width and running in the general di- rection of the tide and across the tide, in towards the grass banks, the same to be measured to it's full extent and marked by the fish commission with red buoys before the commence ment of the fishing season.
 That the fish commission be stripped of it's authority to confiscate boat and gear at first offense.
 That the red salmon season be al- lowed to open the first of May of each year in order to give the fishermen time to get located and get their stakes out as the first and only runs have been known to occur as early as the Sth of May and the best run of fish in the spring of 1925 from all re- ports was over before the season opened. That the season be extended right through until the silver salmon season starts because the run of fish in the Copper River delta is running right through until the time the sill yer salmon run starts.
 That a law be enacted to limit a boat to stake and hold one location only. It has been the practice of can neries to send out a couple of men to stake and hold fishing locations for the whole cannery and to get out in the middle of the winter in order to secure the best locations. Others must follow suit or get left behind. This works hardship on everybody and by opening the season not later and not before the first of May it gives the fishermen sufficient time to locate and get ready and gives everybody an equal show.
 That no rules shall be changed aft CT the opening of the season either on the Copper River delta or Prince William Sound.
 Regard Enemies of Salmon
 The seal is the worst and principal enemy of the red salmon The seal is increasing so rapidly that in a few years if left alone it will make fishing impossible. During the last season it is very conservative estimate to say that the seal took ten fish to each fish taken by the fishermen. And this taking into consideration only the seals that were around the principal fishing places, not counting for the multitudes scattered all over the flats in the eddies of sloughs. They are to be found from outside the breakers and in every nook and corner of the river and have been observed up as fo bn t,Io ;,, I,r lower part of the river the recedine tides expose the mud flats in places where are several pot holes, the fish will be piling down the river, the seals will be seen by the thousand grabbing fish and tearing it to pieces or take it in it's mouth and throwing it's head to one side and half the fisl can be seen playing in the air, thu other half spit out and the seal goin& for the next fish, This is going o1 night and day. It is not so much wha they actually. eat, as the thousand they destroy seemingsly for pleasure Some of the bars and breeding ground are literally alive with seals.
 By comparing time and amount o nets actually standing to fish it ha been ascertained by several and b the fish passing through the canyon that we had at least an average goo run of fish last summer, yet no ifs to speak of were caught on the bars the reasoon for this being that tn bars were overcrowded with nets du to the fact that it is the only plac