The Wrangell sentinel., 1941-10-10
Dr. GabrieISOn
 Guest Of Stikine
 SpOrtSmen Club

OPV4 gOAttV4 V4U0
 Dr. Ira N. Gabrielson, Director of U. s. Fish and Wildlffe Service, was guest of the sHkine Sportsmen's g Association of Wrangeu Tuesday, coming down from Juneau on the Brant in the morning and leaving for Petersburg late that night after addressing a meeting of the Sports men in the evening in the Dugout
 During the afternoon, Dr. Gabriel son was taken for a visit to the famed Stikine flats to look over the waterfowl area he had long wanted to see. President Chad Wyatt, Sec retary Cbet Steear, Past President Fred Hanford and Harry Coulter and Lew Williams acted as hosts in be- half of the Association In order to give the head of the wildlife activ- ities of the nation treat, the white geese arrived right on schedule on the flats, October ', a date they rarely miss for putting in their in ftial appearance.
 Need For Conservation
 Speaking in the evening, Dr. Ga riels3n talked a language sportsmen and fishermen understand. There are two fundamentals to every success ful game program, he said. First there must be ample food supply for the game and, secondly, there must be an assurance of breeding stock. In other words. he explained. game and fish must be recognized as a crop, to be harvested and tended from year to year. With fish as with game there must always be supply of breeding stock for next year, and where there is not ample food or it has been destroyed, it must be created or replaced. He pointed out what has been done in restoring vast marsh regions in the States for waterfowl. Great areas of marsh lands had been drained whe1 the irrigation idea was booming with the aim of using the land for agri- culture. In many instances the
 
 cessary qualities to produce. This land has now been turned back to marsh land, seeded and made rem dezYous for bird life. It is the main answer, he said, for the increase in waterfowl in North America since the restoration program went into effect.
 Alaska Problem
 Alaska is faced, Dr. Gabrielson said, with an immediate problem in the preservation of it's game. The population is rapidly increasing, par icularly in centers where defense work is being carried on. With in creased population comes a greater drain on wildlife as he result of ad ditional hunters and fishermen. The result he said, is one of two things, either the game and fish will van ish as it did in the old west under such conditions or very definite and drastic action must be taken now to conserve it by limiting the take" and generally tightening the regu- latiops. We are hoping" he said, that you Alaskans will profit from the mistakes made in the States and conserve your great supply now be- fore it is too late and you, like the States, have to start all over to re- build what you have lost and in many instances this is impossible"
 Commercial Fishing
 Commercial fishing is no differ ent from sport fishing in this res peet, he emphasized If the runs are not conserved, if there it not suf- ficient breeding stock left for seed for next year there soon won't be any fish.
 q should thing" he said, that this would be the most vital thing to every person in Alaska, particul- arly the fishing regions-the main taining of this, the greatest fish cries i'll North America. I should think every Alaskan would want to see that there is always seed crop of these great fish. I just wonder what would happen to towns Like Wrangell and the others of South east Alaska if the fish harvest dis 1 appeared. Just what would you do in this community for livelihood?"
 Honorary Member
 Dr. Gabrielson was presented with an honorary membership in the Sportsmen's Association and follow ing the regular meeting enjoyed in- | form al ta1Ls with fba Vapiouc TnaD