The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-09-19
Uniform Opening Date August g. for All
 5. E. Alaska
TR0LLER. GILL METER
 REGISTRATION IN VIEW
Icy Strait, Western, Eastern Districts Might Not
 Open at All

Closure to commercial salmon fishing of all waters of the north ern section of Southeast Alaska was forecast as distinct possi- bility for the 1948 season by the Fish and Wildlife Service at the opening of today,s hearing here on proposed conservation regulation changes. Early season gill net ting and trolling would be ex- cepted Uniform season opening for all Southeast Alaska is pro- posed for August 9.
 Seton Thompson. chief of the Alaska Fisheries Division of the F&WL made the disclosure of the drastic curIailmentL being consid- cred by the Service. in his open ing statement at the hearing, over whieh he presided. He summed up the general salmon situation in Alaska as follows:
 The species of primary com mercial importance in Southeastern Alaska is the pink salmon, and of necessity the regulations govern ing salmon fishing, except in cer- tain restricted localities such as Upper Lynn Canal, Taku, and the Stikine, must be framed in such a way to give protection to pink salmon To put it more plainly, if fishing for chum salmon is in compatible with the conservation of pink salmon. then that fishing must be prohibited.
 19i8 Picture Poor
 "rhe pink salmon runs in the even years have declined since l942. and ths outlook for l948 is not bright In fact, we can ex- pect a run even smaller than that of l946 when the pack was just under one million cases. This prediction is based upon generally unsatisfactory escapements in Icy Strait, Western and Eastern dis tricts, coupled with the heaviest fresh water mortality l99.8 per cent) we have so far observed in our pink salmon research. In the more southerly districts where the spawning grounds were more ade- quately seeded in l946, these ad- verse factors are expected to pre- vent anything hut mediocre run in l948.
 This is not a pleasant pros- pect, and drastic action is neces- sary to restore the runs to their normal productivity of about two million cases.
 Accordingly, the Fish and Wild life Service proposes to prohibit sll salmon fishing, except trolling, and except m Lynn Canal. Taku and St;kine, throughout Southeast AL aska prior to August 9 with the further warning Icy Stra.t, West eIn and Eastern districts VII be closed to all commercial fishing af- ter that date if the runs are at a low level and if an escapement Of early fish has not been reaikzeu This drastic curta 'lment will mean curtailment in a number of plants operated and in gear both scines and traps - employed.
 Registration System
 Tn order that legitimate fish ing may be carried on by means of gill nets in Upper Lynn Canal, in Taku Inlet. and in the Stikine district. the Service proposes to institute registration-similar to that employed in the halibut fish cry of boats entering and leaving these open areas
 Thompson also declared the F&WL is not satisfied with the way flexible closing dates have operated he said. the purpose of the pattern of green. blue, yellow and red 'open, in- definite and closed) periods for a .------------- ------------- ---------