The Wrangell sentinel., 1943-09-10

 pink run. In a small way, it is be- ing worked out in part at LittleI Port Walter. This fisheries station in it's few years Of existence is learning that runs of salmon de- pend not alone on the number Of fish which go up streams to spawn but, more important on the num- Der of fingerlings which come down stream in the spring
 Last fall, for example. the es-I capement to the streams was ade- quate but the little fellows coming down in the spring were surprising ly few in comparison. The answer? That's what the bureau is attempt ing to determine with accuracy. Weather conditions enter into it. Heavy rains and resultant floods wash out streams, gravel is pushed so deep over the spawn the young salmon can't get out. It's a wide field to delye intoi not only on one stream but on the hundreds, on all of which conditions are different.
 For example. the down run of young salmon to the sea at the Port. Walter station last spring was light in comparison to the escapement. This does not bode well for a heavy run when these fish come back in the tWo-year cycle. But, as the Dir ector pointed out, this is the condi- tion on but one stream.
 We are not far enough advanced with these studies 10 make accurate rielson explained. There are thousand streams in Southeast Al aska. The Port Walter station is only on one. There is a great deal ot work yet to do fl We are to pro- perly control and manage our fish cries to provide the greatest yield and maintain the supply for future years"
 Dr. Gabrielson has seen the sal mon runs dwindle from the rivers ot the Pacific Coast until today, on-I ly the Columbia of the great OregonI and Washington rivers maintains al few canneries. Along the others you'll find nothing but the rem nants of what once was a high day; in the salmon industry. He is de- termined that Alaska's great fisher les will not go the same way-if he can prevent it.
 When one recalls that this is the same Dr. Gabrielson who had tossed in his lap the cold fact that the na- tion's migratory bird life was on the road to extinction, entirely ex- tinct in some places, and what was he going to do about it the pros pect tor the future of AIaska's fish cries is encouraging. What Cab rIelson did, as the nation now knows, was go to work on control UI migratory birds ducks Il d geese. Under his direction, the dust Dowl again developed marshes where birds couII live. From north ! to south, from east to west, condi- tions were made so that the birds could survive. Vigorous regulations were clamped on. No shooting for some years. Ten years later, North !. Americas migratory birds were back on the wing. Today America again boasts Of great flights of ducks and geese. Your To-day shoot ing this fall is the result Of that program. The chap who directed that outstanding program of conser- yation now has thrust in his lap the gigantic job of properly manag- ing Alaska fisheries so that it will produce now, and maintain the economic balance, and keep on pro ducing fish and maintaining that economic balance for future Alas kans.
 It's muddy track, the going is plenty tough but our chips are down on this Gabrielson to come in running smoothly ahead at the finish.