The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1927-12-22

~ u gear uoeu III AlaSha salmon
fishing. and especially IN the mum
Der of traps operated, is the out
standing feature of the Alaska fish
cry regulations for 1928, which en-
body important changes not only in
detail but in principle. IN some
ways the effect on long-established
conditions OF operation seems likely
to be far-reaching and profound;
but a better understanding has
been reached between the industry
and the Bureau Of Fisheries. and
the ultimate results should tend
toward greater stability, besides
being highly effective in maintain
ing the fishery On a permanent ba-
sis.
Previously. restriction by closed
seasons, closed areas. etc.. has been
more or less balanced each
year by increased fishing effort,
largely expended in the operation
of more gear. This tended in gen
eral to defeat the purpose of the
regulations, which is to give the
fish a better chance of eseapement.
At the same time it was becoming
very costly to the operators. It is
now thoroughly understood that
the result which must be accom-
plished is to permit greater es-
capement of fish to the spawning
grounds The new ideas adopted,
besides cutting down the amount
of gear now in use, make any large
scale increase of other gear practi-
cally impossible; and there seems
to be no danger that Alaska will
suffer from the situation now com
planned of in British Columbia,
where the cost of competing gear
has become an excessive burden on
the industry.
With the cooperation of produ-
GERS, the new regulations should
assure an ample eseapement under
normal conditions in all districts;
and it has been made very clear
that. if for any reason they fail to
do So action of much greater Sc
verify may be expected. The pack
ers, for the most part, have accep-
operation, and are conforming
operation, and are conforming
their operations not merely to the
letter of the requirements but to
the essential object in view. The
effect on production cannot be esti-
mated with any accuracy, but it is
evident that no further expansion
is to be expected unless the fish be-
come much more abundant. With
a light or even a fair run it will
not be possible to maintain produc-
ton by intensive fishing; although
a really heavy run should produce
a normal. or perhaps even a large
output as compared with previous
years.
New Plan Adopted
The greatest interest has been
taken in action affecting Southeast
Alaska, in view of the fact that this
is the largest producing district
and one in which gear has been in
creasing very rapidly. and to which
attention was drawn by this years
serious failure. As explained last
month, the Southeast Alaska pack
ers developed a plan of restriction
by greatly extending the areas
closed to trap fishing, This was
placed before Mr.. O'Malley, and the
essential principle of the proposal
has been followed in working out
the new regulations, which were
briefly but clearly explained by him
at a meeting in Seattle November
%. Thanking the committee for
its efforts and reviewing his state
ment of September, in which he
pointed out the need for curtailinR
gear If the salmon industry is to be
maintained as a going business,
Mr.. 0'Malley said:
1.-THE plan which your COM
mittee has suggested, in part,
meets with my approval. BY
this plan it is contemplated to
eliminate all traps from the
heads of bays and close to GER
tain other areas. 1t would APP
pear that the committee has
made a great deal of progress