Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-23
REGULATIONS ON FISH TRAP
 LIGHTS REC'D
FISH TRAP LIGHTS DECLARED PRIVATE AID TO NAVIGATION:
 PENALTY THEREOF FIXED.

A copy of the circular recently sent to all Alaska fish trap operation of whom the United States Engineer off cer at Juneau, has any record of, was received by the Gateway from James G. Steese, district engineer. The circu- lar points out that fish trap lights have now been classed as private aids to navigation and as such fall within the same provisions of law as government aids to navigation which provide a very serious penalty for interference.
 Conditions under which fish trip per mitsc are granted provide: That fish ing structures and appliance in naviga- ble waters of the United States shall be lighted for the safety of navigation, as follows:
 "The lights shall be displayed be- tween sunset and sunrise. They shall be placed at each end of the structure excepting where the inner end termin- ates in such situation that there is no practicable navigation between it and the highwater line of the adjacent coast, in which case no inner light shall be displayed. The outer light shall be white and the inner light shall be red.
 When several structures or appli- ances are placed on one line with no navigable passage between them, they will be considered, for lighting purpOs- es as one structure.
 That there shall be installed and maintained on the weir, trap, or pound, by and at the expense of the permittee, such additional lights and signals as may be prescribed by Bureau of Lighthouses, Dept. of Commerce, and that provision shall be made by the watchman or otherwise for proper at tendance or lights and signals, so that they will at all times be in effective condition.
 The size, capacity, and manner of maintenance of the lights is specified in the War Department permit author izing the erection of the structure or appliance.
 The above requirements are in ac- cordance with formal agreement be- tween the Departments of Commerce and War and application to the U. s. Lighthouse service for further author ity for the maintenance of such lights is unnecessary.
 This office has been advised that such lights required to be maintained on fish trap structures are frequently destroyed or removed by malicious persons and that prosecution for theft or malicious destruction of private property has not been effective to stop the practice.
 You are therefore advised that these lights have now been declared by the Department of Commerce to be pri- vate aids to navigation and as such fall within the provisions of Section of the act of Congress approved May IA, 1908, authorizing additional aids to navigation in the Lighthouse Service which provides that: It shall be un- lawful for any person to obstruct or interfere with any aid to navigation established or maintained in the Light house Service under the Commissioner of Lighthouses, or to anchor any yes sel in any of the navigable waters of the United States so as to obstruct or interfere with range lights maintained therein, and any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor and be subject to a fine not exceeding the sum of $500 for each offense, and each day during which such violation shall continue shall be considered as new Offense.
 Pursuant to Section of the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1915, au- C0OTlIiHS diuS " uoFlSuCiOn oAu oChCA works in the Lighthouse Service, pri- vate aids lawfully maintained are en- titled to the same protection against or obstruction as is af- forded by the above law to Govern ment aids.
 If such interference or obstruction occur, a prompt report containing all the evidence available should be made to the Commissioner of Lighthouses through the superintendent of light houses of the district in which the aids are situated.
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