Seward daily gateway., 1927-09-07
ADVOCATES HATCHERY ! FUR EACH DIVISION
 ID RAISE CAME FISH
TERRITORIAL FISH COMMISSION FER SEEKS COOPERATION
 FROM PUBLIC

ing fish all my life and yet I know
 nothing about them" was the open
 ing remark made by A. J. Sprague,
 Territorial fish commissioner, who passed through Seward Monday, dur ing an interview with The Gateway. That is one of the most sensible
 remarks I have ever heard a public fisheries official make" stated a To-
 cal bushes man who was listening to the conversation.
 The reader will therefore understand
 that above all things MT. Sprague is honest and frank in his statements
 and due to his modest opinion of him. self his message which he is endeav- bring to deliver to Alaskans should
 prove more than passing interest. To begin with when the Territorial fish commission was abolished by the last Territorial legislative assembly
 Sprague was named to care for all property in possession of the com
 mission; to lease such property for periods of two years, and to carry on
 experiments in fish culture. He has just completed three months sur vey of all streams, rivers and lakes in
 the Alaska Railroad area and along the Richardson highway, with the one idea in mind that of selecting the most available in which to plant the 15O.O00 fry that have been provided for that purpose this season.
 q never saw so many streams and lakes in my life," he remarked, "and practically every one of them beautl-
 full ones. I am firm in my conviction, and especially so after discussing 1t
 with almost hundreds of residents of
 the Territory, that if we can restock all these streams and lakes with good
 game trout it will prove to be an asset
 to the country of incompatible worth. The auction is usually asked by
 these thousands of tourists who an ,nually visit Alaska where is good fish ing to be found If all these tourists
 can be directed to stream where an
 excellent string can be procured he or she will probably remain longer. And
 when they get back home they are go- ing to inform their friends. To sum up
 more people will become interested Ill Alaska. not only from a. fishing stand
 point, but in the country's resources. It is the intent of MT. Sprague to ask of the next legislature an appro-
 priation for each of the four divisions for the purpose of establishing hat chery in each. These trout hatchries would supply the fry which would be
 constantly planted in the inland wat
 CTS. It is in this connection that MT.
 Sprague earnestly seeks the cooper
 ation of all. Another thing in which the Territory is in need of, he point
 ed out, was a stream history of Alas lka, showing the available spawning
 grounds, what fish are to be found in certain streams, what time is best for fishing, locations, and so on.
 His duties also comprise compre- |hensive study of salmon fishing and
 in his survey of waters thus far he has been securing all available in formation as to where salmon are spawned. Tn addition he has issued Ia Questionaire to all salmon opera tors in Alaska requesting such data las they may have knowledge of.
 Owing to the fact he has been away from his office for three months the results of these questionaires have not yet been learned They will be of material assistance in perpetuating
 the industry, he believes.
 MT Sprague has many original ideas one of which is hatchery raised salmon; when released he states these are tame fish and being such are subject to meet their fate in a