The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-07-31
25,000 Persons Are Em- ployed in Industry Dur ing Summer Months GEAR TYPE PLAYS
 IMPORTANT ROLE Traps, Seiners, Gill Meters All Have Part in
 Enterprise
 By FRANK T. BELL United States Commissioner of
 Fisheries

l Nature has endowed Alaska most bountifully in a number of ways. enormous mineral wealth, an abun- dance of fur-bearing and game anil mals, vast forests, mighty glaciers lofty mountains, great rivers, ex- tensive inland water ways, and lgreatest of all, an almost unbeliev- able wealth of aquatic life. chief of which is the salmon, now known in every quarter of the globe as a fine. wholesome food product. Until about sixty years ago Ai~ aska was thought of primarily for its possibilities in producing furs and mineral wealth. The first sal- mon were canned in Alaska in 1878 and from modest beginning at that time the industry has grown until the Territory produces ap- |proximately two thirds of the worlds canned salmon. Tn the con- duct of this industry during the summer months, employment is given to about 25.000 persons and the manufactured value of this out put approximates $35 5,000,000.
 Although Alaska has been en- dowed naturally with fine streams, lakes, and coastal waters for a seemingly countless and inexausti- ble supply of salmon, nevertheless, mans ingenuity and cupidity in ex- plotting this resource have caused serious decline and depletion, re- quiring in some instances drastic conservation measures. With the enactment of the White law of June 6, 1924. the Secretary of Commerce through the Commissioner of Fish- cries has had powers of control which have steadily improved con- ditions, and the trend of production has been upward until in the past season of 1886, Alaska produced B. 437 .603 cases, by far the largest pack of salmon in history.
 From the low ebb of some time |ago, this restoration of depleted waters and the rebuilding of decl- mated runs Of salmon did not spring magicclly into being over night. The present satisfactory condition, which perhaps may be developed even fur ther as knowledge is gained through scientific investigation, has come about by reason of regulations fix ing the time. place, and extent of fishing operations always with the idea of allowing the catch by fisher men to be as large as possible, and at the same time permitting ade- quate numbers of salmon to escape to the spawning grounds.
 Resource Built by Sacrifice
 All of this has meant sacrifice on the part of fishing interests which at the time seemed hard, but in the long run benefits have come through the restoration of depleted waters and the resulting increased pro- duction. Naturally. there have been controversies, differences of opin- ions. and difficulties that had to be ironed out and adjusted, but it is felt that the ends obtained have fully justified the means employed.
 It has been demonstrated that the runs of salmon can be built up and maintained at improved levels of production by the application and observance of strict conservation methods, as circumstances may warrant. Tn the effort to foster and develop the salmon fisheries of AL aska and maintain production at the highest possible level, the nec- essities of conservation rather than economic considerations must gov- ern. although attention has been given to distributing or balancing the catch between different types of apparatus.
 Much has been said regarding the relative merits of fish caught in traps as compared with those taken by purse seines. It is the opin- ion of experts that trap fish are always good, whereas seine fish are only of first-class quality if they are delivered fresh at the canneries. In many instances it is impossible for seiners to get to the canneries promptly because of the distance from such plants, and the fact that the catch is usually made at num- Der of different places, with the re- suit that the time involved may cause some of the fish, at least in the lower part of the hold, to be less satisfactory for canning. Gen.
 fContinued on Page Seyen)