The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1941-06-27
Interior Dept.
Opposes Alaskan
Fishing Priority

Congressman S. o. Bland, Chair
man. House Committee on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries. has received
unfavorable reports from the De
partment of the Interior on Two
bills introduced by Delegate Di-
mond. namely. H. r. ST, To amend
section 6 of an Act of Congress en-
titled An Act for the protection of
the fisheries of Alaska, and for 9th
er purposes. approved June 8, 1921,
and Il. r. SIS, To amend section /
of the Act of June 6. 1924 as am,
ended relative to the fisheries of
Alaska
The adverse report ON II. r. ST.
submitted by E X Burlew, Acting
Secretary Of the Interior, reads asI
follows:
The purpose of the proposed leg-l
islation is TO mend section of the
act of June 6, 1924 (43 Stat. 464),|
so as to prohibit the seizure and,
forfeiture of boats. nets, and seines
used by residents of Alaska is vio-|
lation of the fishery laws or fishery
regulations prior to the conviction
of such persons in an appropriate
court. Under the provisions of exist
ing legislation all such fishing ap-.
paratus used in connection with any
violation of the fishery laws or of
regulations issued pursuant to pro-.
visions of such laws, is required
to be forfeited to the United States
and to be sold under the direction
of the court in which the Forfeit
ure is declared. Such proceedings
are intended to facilitate the en-
forcement of laws affecting conser-
walton of fisheries and any limita-|
ton on their application to all per-
sons engaged in fishery operations
would seriously affect the very
thing that is to be gained through
existing conservation laws, namely,
protection of the fisheries of Alaska
for the benefit of both the fishery
industry and the consumer
Mr.. Burlew has also submitted
the second adverse report on the
bill, H. R. IS, which reads in part
as follows:
THE bill would require the Sec-|
rotary of the Interior to promulgateI
annual regulations to insure, so far
as practicable, priority of employ
ment in the fisheries and fishing
industries of Alaska to actual bona
fide residents of Alaska of at least
one years residence in the Terri
tory Immediately prior to the is
suance of such regulations. The
priority of employment to be given
to such residents would relate toI
all of the work employment, trades,
and occupations incident to or con-
nected with the taking, preparing,
canning, processing, or preserving
fish or shellfish in the Territory of
Alaska Or in the waters adjacent
thereto.
THE Department is very anxious
to develop stable and permanent
population for Alaska The adminis-I
trative difficulties. however, I'M
meeting the detectives sought by the
bill would be very great and would
require, in effect, that an annual
census be made of all bona fideI
residents of Alaska.
Even if actual bona fide resi-
dents of Alaska were given priority
of employment only with respect to-
fishing, a considerable number of
persons from the States would have
to be employed. For example, the
records show that in 1899, the lat
est year for which complete statis-
tics are available, 11,743 fishermen
were employed in Alaska. This is
apart from 1889 other persons
engaged in connection with the fish
cry operations in Alaska in that
year In certain important sections
of Alaska the population is so sparse
that it would be impossible to carry
on commercial fishery operations on
the present established scale with
residents of the Territory only.
''The salmon and other fisheries
of Alaska are seasonal in character,
and during the winter months there
is almost complete cessation of fish
cry activities. In 1899, of the g.
697 fishermen credited to Western
Alaska, approximately 1920, or
considerably less than one-half, were
residents of the Territory, and many
of these were from other sections