The Daily Alaska empire., 1937-07-31
COM MISSIONER
 TELLS HOW PLAN IS CARRIED ON
25.OOO Persons Are Elm ployed Tn Industry Dur
 ing Summer Months
Continued from Page One)

duced are in fine condition, thus in- suring reasonable profits to the op- orators, good wages to employees, and likewise a satisfactory finan- cial return to the fishermen.
 Gear Controversies
 In considering the history of the salmon fisheries of Alaska, an out standing feature is the long eXlSt- ing controversy between one group favoring traps and another group urging the abolishment of traps and the catching of all fish by smaller and movable types of apparatus chiefly purse seines and gill nets.
 This matter very largely seems to narrow itself down to the fact that in respect to both classifications ot fishing gear, there have been abuses which have been harmful and, un- fortunately, have resulted in the de- pletion of the supply of salmon in various waters. The chief feature of this was the placing of fishing gear too near the mouths of streams, or operating actually within streams, and near and in some instances, actually upon the spawning grounds of salmon. Another matter for con- cern was the operation at times of scines too close to traps, thus tend ing to draw heavily upon the sup ply of breeding fish.
 Most serious of all, in the earlier days, was the erection of barricades across streams below which the salmon, as they congregated, could be taken easily by fishermen. So indifferent were some of the earlier fishermen to the future supply that, after they had made their catches they would not, even toward the end of the season. make an opening in the barrier to allow at least few salmon to pass up for spawning pur- poses.
 There has been controversy be- tween the users of smaller purse seine boats, 50 feet or under in length, and those desiring to oper- ate much larger ea-going types. Residents of Alaska have objected Strenuously to an influx of large boats, as there would be interfer- ence with their operations couduct- cd by smaller craft. It has been said that if traps were eliminated, how ever, the incoming of large seine boats would be necessary to supply catches sufficient to keep the in- dustry going at it's maximum capa- city.
 Driven or pile traps, similar in principle to the widely used pound nets of the Great Lakes and the At lantic coast, as well as in the Pa cific coast states, made their ap- pearance in Alaska in 1885. The floating trap first was tried eXperi- mentally at Kodiak Island in 1896, but it was not until 1907 that this type of gear really came into use. At first, traps could be placed wher- ever the operators desired. Their use was later prohibited in streams and within 500 yards outside the mouths of streams It was not un- til the passage of the White Act of 1924 that real authority was lodged in the Secretary of Commerce to control the widespread use of traps. AS result, from the peak of 799 traps operated in 1927, the number has been gradually reduced by the regulations until approximately 450 sites are now available; a reduction of about A percent.
 In some parts of Alaska traps are prohibited, and likewise purse seines are not allowed in some waters. The geographical and physical charac- ter of the region, the nature of the waters, and other factors, as well as requirements of conservation, enter into the determination of the extent and nature of fishing appa- ratus that may be employed. Un- doubtedly, traps were too numerous in some regions and their elimina- ton or curtailment was necessary, not from an economic standpoint, but for conservation needs. With the reduction in the number of traps, the remaining sites main- tained by the companies and indi- yiduals holding them naturally are better and more productive for the most part and their continued op- eration is generally desired by the industry. The holders of those sites which are less productive often im- perfume the Department for trades of sites which they think will yield larger catches of salmon. Trades of this character are discouraged, but some have been made where they would not interfere with corserva- tion or infringe upon the claim of another person whose site previously had been closed for conservation purposes.
 Catch Improving
 The catch of salmon is improving year by year, at least the trend is upward, and the market is absorb ing this increased production. It is hoped that the market can be main- tained and that production will in- crease until the limit of the yield of the waters of Alaska is reached. With catch of over 129 9,0O0,O00 sal mon in 1936. the largest since cafl-