The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-11-08
'econd Break in Notion Steel Strike IS Made
Room for Traps and Seines, SaysBuyer;; Siika Man Asks
 For Stringent Enforcement

SITKA, Alaska, Nov. 8-(Special Dispatch to The Empire) Fish
 traps received unexpected support
 at brief hearing here yesterday
 afternoon from a local fish tuyer
 who said he believes there is room
 for both traps and mobile gear in
 Alaska,
 Five persons, on the other hand. 1 spoke against traps, citing them as
 unfair competition to both fisher
 men and to canneries which do not have traps. Four of the anti trap speakers were fishermen, the fifth a small independent cannery operator.
 Only two members of the special , committee reached Sitka for the hearing. Congressman John Allen of California and Delegate E. l.. Bartlett arrived by plane from Ketchikan for two and half hour stay. Other members of the Congressional Committee left Ket- chikan direct for Seattle after hold ing hearings in several coastal | towns.
 BOTH BREAK LAW L. c. Berg, Sitka fish buyer for the past IS years and resident of Southeast Alaska since 1900, told the committee that both traps and seines have engaged in illegal fish ing practices. The remedy, he thought, is more enforcement agents and sharper teeth in the .aws. If either trap or seiner
 is caught fishing illegally, they | ,hould be closed down for the re- .nainder of the season." Berg said.
 Retention of some traps will tend 0 minimize strikes among the ;einers, Berg felt. He predicted that
 mall canneries will have difficulty financing their operations if they
 must depend solely upon seine taught fish. Berg termed the big | southeast Alaska fish run last sea- ;on accidental and said he believes he fish belonged to westward and ,ere swept into this area by ocean ulrents. He predicted small run lext season.
 DEPLETED AREAS CITED Andrew Hope, membe- of the Territorial Legislature and Chair nan of the Fisheries Committee of he Alaska Native Brotherhood, Peter c. Nielsen. Sltka City Coun- ilman and fisherman, and two other fishermen cited examples of depleted fishing areas and blamed traps for the depletion. Hope said that fishing should be in such condition that the fishermen will oe able to make a living during the season and not be forced to seek jobs during the winter months He estimated the average yearly income of Indian fishermen in this area at $600 Citing Lynn Canal and Peril Strait as examples, Hope said
 hat both had once been excellent fishing areas. He charged that traps killed both of them and that it is virtually impossible for seiner to fish in either area at present. Peril Strait, he said, made something of comeback last sum- mer because the late opening of the season allow some early fish
 to escape the traps in Chatham
 Strait.
 TRAPS TOO GOOD"
 Nielsen asserted that traps are
 entirely too efficient. He and other
 fishermen who spoke tefore the
 committee felt that five years is
 adequate time for cannerymen to
 ieadjust to trap elimination.
 William M. Smith of the local
 Smith and Morrow Cannery com
 plained of rough competition from trap caught fish in good seasons. In poor seasons, he said, the cost of 1 trap and seine fish is about equal, but when there is a big run the trap canneries make cheaper pack and are able to undersell the small
 operator who must depend entirely
 upon seine caught fish.
 Traps catch not oEly cannery fish
 but halibut, herring and king sal
 mon which other types of gear
 would not otherwise catch. Mark
 Jacobs, local president of the ANB.
 told the committee. He predicted a
 general increase in Sitka business
 if traps are eliminated.