The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1927-09-17
THE USE OF HERRING.

of the Northwestern Herring Company of Pc
Conclusion answering a statement made by J.
Hickman, learfing canneryman and business ma
of Ketchikan, Alaska. former Alaska Legislat'
and prominent citizen of the Territory appeare
in The Empire yesterday. Mr.. Hickman stron'
ly protested against the use of herring for fe
tilizer Mr. Floe says herring not used fl
fertilizer, but that all of the fish taken are use
for food for people, live stock and chickens al
for OIL
Mr. Heckman's statement follows:
1t is a crime, one that will be
GREETED later, that this country is allow
ing herring to be used for fertilizer;
food fish that will in time be
valuable to Alaska salmon fish
ing has been More fertilizer plants are
going in every year and making huge
profits on using up good fish for
making fertilizer. This should be stopped
Immediately regardless of whom it hurts.
If this industry for the use of fer
tlizer is stopped before 1t is too late,
some of us will live to herring one
of our largest industries in Alaska.
Thirty years ago you could not sell
thousand of pink salmon In the
world today we sell millions. The
same might we'll, in time. prove true
of herring.
1t Is our duty to every effort
believe it is of the great
est economic and industrial crimes of
the century and we are watching 1t
and making practically no protest
know we need fertilizer l know
it helps farmers to grow crops. But there
are many other waste products just as
valuable for fertilizer. In Alaska are
great lime deposits and mineral deposits
and fertilizer. Alaskan waters swarm
with fish that have little or no food
value Then why, for the sake of tenn
porary gain, utterly destroy an industry
which can be made permanent, be worth
millions of dollars annually and pro-
vide for future needs? That is the
reason l say it is industrial and
economic crime and shame to allow
ii to continue Every Alaskan who shuts
his eyes to these facts and makes no
protest is aiding and abetting the
criminal practice of the destruction
of a valuable food product.
There is absolutely no relation between
dse to which herring that are caught are I
and the preservation of the species for a ii
when people might consume the entire cat
for edible purposes. If it is desired to presei
the herring industry the only thing necesss
is to provide against everlasting. 1t is not
question of the use to which the fish
after they are caught but question as
whether or not too many of them caug
The market demand is the best criterion
determining the use of the fish after they
taken.
for food until a demand for the smaller I
cry, and that is that the large fish that
suitable for the foodstuf market cannot
caught without taking the smaller herring
which there is no demand edible fish. WI
would Mr.. Hickman have done with tn
smaller grades of fish? There is compla
among the people of the Cook Inlet coun
that a lot of them are dumped into the
out there Would it not be lot better to
them for fish meal and oil?
Would Mr.. Hickman stop herring fish
because a lot of the fish caught are unsuita
for food until a demand for the samller
as food is developed? If so, what would
do with. the herring that would live and die
70 to waste pending the time that people wo
buy the entire catch for food?
49, Is it not economy to continue the herr
fishery. within the limits that might be
termined to be safely secure against the
termination of the species, and to continue
use those fish that not in demand for
in way that produces profit rather
TO permit the herring to die of old age while
wait for an increased demand for food fish
HUGHES STILL FOR COOLIDGE, BU'