The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-11-15
Fishermen .Atfatk FWS Proposals

opened during the weekend closing periods was termed a punitive" measure which would provide no conservation of salmon by fish trap owners at the annual hearing on commercial fishing regulations con- ducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
 The hearing opened this morning in the Federal courtroom, and con- tinue this afternoon and possibly tomorrow.
 Both independent fishermen and packers and Alaska Salmon Indus try, Inc, representatives took issue with various phases of the proposed regulations for the coming year.
 Clarence Rhode, FWS regional di-. rector, acted as chairman for the nearing, ana pofriJed out repeatedly that the proposals were merely that and that the hearing was held to enable the Fish and Wildlife Ser vice to determine which proposals should be made into regulations.
 Bitter Opposition
 The proposal to open the trap leads was bitterly opposed by in- dustry representatives and almost unanimously endorsed by gill-net-. ters, purse-seiners and trollers.
 w. c. Arnold, representing the in- dustry, spoke at various times in defending the stand of his group on the lead-opening question and in taking a stand for an earlier sea- son this coming year.
 A. w. BrindIe, oI Wards Cove Packing Co.,, said the proposal to open the trap leads was thought Of by persons merely wanting to "harass" their competitors.
 "If a trap was built to keep any fish in the lead, then the trap would not catch fish, Brindle de- clared.
 Tn disagreement with previous witnesses, Brindle said that salmon will not lay along the lead for any. length of time. He said that witness es who declared this is to be true had evidently never worked with traps"
 Punitive Measure
 "This opening of the leads would only a punitive measure" Brindle protested. Tt would not be a matter of conservation of fish. There is never a time when a big body of fish gather and lay along the leads for any length of time"
 Patrick Paul, of Wrangell, inter- rupted to say that he disagreed with Brindle Harold B. Hansen, of Cor dova, said a packer had told him of an instance when he had seen 10000 fish" laying and milling along a trap lead.
 If we were allowed the same privilege, of stalking the end of our net to the shore during the weekend closing periods, we would have lots of fish there on Monday morning. But it is not a question of use trying to punish the trap owners"
 Fred Gunderson said he had been associated with fish traps since 1916. He said it is cardinal prin- ciple that traps are set so fish will follow the lead into the trap. He said fish no not school up' along leads nor stay there.
 They either go into the heart, or out and around" Gunderson said. AS long as the heart-wall is down the fish will go through" :"
 Rhode said that the Fish and Wildlife Service did not intend ito willingly become tool of one group interested in one type of gear against another group interested in another type of gear"
 Dangerous to Watchmen
 John Grebstad made statement which he said corruborated that of Brindle's. John Davis, represent ing the P. E. Harris Co.,, Inc, said not only would breaking the trap leads serve no real purpose, but that it would be dangerous for the trap watchmen. He also pointed out the difficulty in enforcement.
 T have been in the trap busl- ness all my life, and as far as l |