The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-10-03
5p|if Season in -HaIibuf FisIlinq
 Opposed Here
Hearing Spirited at Satur- day Meeting-Propos-
 dIs by Commission

Violent opposition to the proposed split" season for fishing halibut was voiced Saturday afternoon by everyone attending the final hear ing held by the International Fish, cries Commission.
 The four-man commission hac previously held five hearings dowr the coast, during which the 10-day fishing and 20-day layup proposa found favor in Seattle, Vancouver and Prince Rupert, but ran into opposition in Ketchikan and Peters burg.
 The proposal was first brought up in the annual January confer ence in an attempt to lengthen the season to catch late fish in Areas ? and 3 not now being caught be- cause the limit is reached in early June. The commission wants 4,500,- 900 more pounds caught off South east Alaska and Hecate Strait.
 Larry Fitzpatrick, representing i Juneau vessel owners, proposed 8 return to the voluntary curtail- ment style of fishing, in vogue until | the war.
 ONE PROPOSAL
 This method made each boat tie up some 10 days after each trip and allowed so many pounds pel man. He proposed allowing 4,00( pounds in Area 2 and 5000 in Area 3.
 This would allow trips to be shorter, the catch in better con- dition, and would put more fish or the fresh fish market, leaving less for cold storage purposes, thus putting the price up in 10th cate gories. Staggered departures would be in force under this plan, spread ing the season some four and one half months.
 | The commission has power only to open and close the season, and cannot now limit the catch per boat or control the times it leaves. A proposal to give it such powers lies in six-point change in the inter- national treaty proposed by the commissions advisors.
 Gov. Ernest Gruenlng presented a statement through Burke Riley an aide, in which he said he was against a split season because it would work hardships on South east Alaska.
 Conservation is not an end ir itself" the statement read in part and although the commission's powers do not carry over into the economic stages, this would change the fleets economy greatly" EXTREME MEASURES
 He asked why the commission should introduce extreme measures now, inasmuch as for 18 years it has been successful. He said the body would suffer if it introduced a split season.
 c. L. Anderson, fisheries head pointed out split season would drive residents away from the Ter ritory.
 "The salmon season does that now" he said, land people living here tend to accuse the commission of setting up these types of laws to keep residents out of Alaska The Territory, of course, has nothing to say about the matter unless we were state"
 He proposed IT day layup ol leave matters as they are until cur tailment powers are granted the commission, or secondly, to divide Area 2 in two parts, or set ur more areas or subdivide, with open ings in each staggered. This posed the problem of policing and ad- ministration, an almost impossible l task.
 Commission. members said the catch is down 50 percent in Hecate Strait from 1881 to 1885, with mostly ] chickens, small fish, caught there now.
 BUYERS OPPOSITION 1 Wallis George and Elton Eng. strom, buyers, hoth opposed tht split season because of the labol problem and it's tendency to drive all boats to Seattle.
 Ut would close us up," Engstrom said.
 Henry Roden, cold storage man said that while the commissions powers only had to do with conser- vation. the question is largely one of economics.
 That's why this room is full