restricted gillnetting, Captain
Ccle made this reply:
“Nothing is farther fcom my
mind!”
At another point the warden
let it be Known that there would
bv.no gihnet restrictive regula
tions cn Cook Inlet—not with
his sanction!
This was a delightful morsel
of news, foyously presented, and
accepted, we Relieve, at its face
value. But a different view
might now, excusably, be taken.
For it is not easy to believe that
bureau chiefs would callously
enact restrictive gillnct regula
tions over Captain Roy Cole’s
frantic protests!
It would appear that an im
portant function of the office of
lish warden might be the sub
mission of a report, and if re
gulations governing the suc
ceeding season are not based
upon such report with its ac -
compa nying recommenda tions.
then whence the impelling
cause?
Seldovians and other Inlet
friends would be glad to co
operate with authorities in prac
tical conservation of fish, and
they are unable tc see why they
should be denied reasonable
privileges that come from right
ful, natural heritage.
Catching’ fish in Cock In lev is
rs vital an item in human af
fairs as is raising corn to the
farmers of Iowa. And if and
when that point becomes the
basic principle for fishing re
gulations then shall fish con
servation, sensible law enforce
ment and a living wage become
gr oup accomplishments.
-x
ALASKA TRAPS IN 1930
There were 70i traps fished in
Alaska in 1930, of which 444 were
in Southeast, 255 in Central and
2 in Western Alaska.
Will Try to Solve
Halibut Question
At the meeting of the Fishing
Vessel Owners’ Association to be
held in Seattle on the 29th of
December, effort will be made to
devise plans for the stabilization
of the halibut industry.
A vote will be taken on the
Question of whether the Cana
oian fishermen shall separate
from American fishermen and
form their own union. In Van
couver also the same question
will be taken up and decided
upon.
A committee has been appoint
ed to study and investigate con
ditions to improve the halibut
fishing business of the North
Pacific Ocean; limitation of
catcher, closed areas, marketing
and efforts to secure a minimum
price on the market will be mat
ters of serious consideration.
The tariff differential has
caused a difference of opinion
between Canadian and American,
fishermen. Canadians declaring
that the duty must be equalized
so that they may receive the
same price for fish paid Ameri
can operators. The Americans
are almost a unit in opposition
to the lowering of the tariff.
x
FRINGE RUPERT HALIBUT
LANDINGS D*?OP in 1931
Canadian Fisher n'an
-x
The grand total of halibut
landings at the port of Prince
Rupert for the year 1931, as
compiled by the Canadian Fish
erman correspondent .was 16*
1)36,940 pounds as compared
with 24,638,000 pounds in 1930,
27,807,250 pounds in 1929, 27,
9" 7 0C9 pounds in 1928 and 25,
::r h950 poundsin 1927. American
landings for the season just
ended totaled 10,339,140 pounds
as against 18,192,500 pounds
last year, 20,354,500 pounds in
1929 and 19,554,700 pounds in
1928. Canadian fares this yea*
reached a total of 5,697,800
pounds as compared with 6,445,
500 pounds in 1930, 7,452,750
pounds in 1929 and 7,481,300
pounds in 1928. These figures
take into account only fish that
was actually landed at Prince
Rupert and do not include of
ferings that may have come to
the port but were actually de
livered elsewhere.
For the final landing week of
the season, October 31 to No
vember 6 inclusive, landings a
mounted to 720,000 pounds in
cluding 139,500 pounds of Cana
dian fish and 580,500 pounds of
American. The price average for
the week was fairly good. The
high bid of the week for Cana
dian fish was 10.7c and 4c which
the Cape Beale received for 38,
000 pounds and the low 6c and
4c which the Vera Beatrice was.
paid for 2000 pounds. The top
American price of the week was
16c and 5c which the Wave and
Leviathan were paid for 3,000
and 20,000 pounds respectively
the low 8c and 4c which the
Pacific received for 24,000
pounds.
The two principal reasons, of
course, for the large decrease in
landings this year were the de
lay of the boats in getting start
ed fishing last spring and the
closing of the season two weeks
earlier than in 1930. These fac
tors, however, could not be held
entirely accountable for the de
crease. Owing to low price con
ditions, Prince Rupert lost a
good deal of landings of Ameri
can fish to Seattle, it is admit
ted.
The 1931 season was probably
the worst on record so far as the
fleet was concerned financially.
Exceedingly low prices prevailed