cipal food is shrimp spawn and
shrimp fry, during the latter part of
June, July and August. In Septem
ber the shrimp fry becomes too
large and then only the largest sij
es of herring seem to devour them
One of the peculiar traits of her
ring is that the herring apparently
knows just when and where to get
this food. Chatham Straits, Fred
erick Sound and Stevens Passage
have the most extensive shrimp beds
in Alaska. And for this reason the
herring yearly migrate to these wa
ters. However, when northerly winds
are prevailing, as occurred during
this year, the shrimp spawn and fry
are blown out to sea and the herring
found its food at sea and did not
need to go to the trouble of coming
inside for food.
The herring and feed are still out
there safe from the fishermen, the
aaltery and the by-products plant.
We have seen them for miles and
miles as late as the first of Septem
ber and there is feed enough to last
a long time. This should be a real
encouragement to the conservation
ists. i
Whenever southerly winds are
predominating in the spring and
early summer the herring feed on
small black looking shell fish spawn.
The odor from this food so pene
trates the fish that they are impos
sible for human food. Apparently the
herring don’t like them any too well
either for as soon as they get hold
of shrimp spawn they devour them
with an enormous appetite, leaving
the black feed for a rainy day.
When and where do they spawn?
During late fall and winter and
early spring, depending oa the spe
cies, of which they are approximate
ly more than a hundred. And they
spawn In salt water either at sea
or near shore. It can be said that
the herring will spawn at nearly any
place. Indeed, so prolific are they
that one eminent Scotch authority
has stated that if they were only
one male and one female herrin.?
left, in the course of 12 years time,
snd If not molested by enemies or
sickness, their numbers would be
billions, 12 years being the average
ilfe of the herring.
The North Sea, where millions ol
barrels.of herring are caught, is tne
only place in the world where the
herring is anywhere near as extens
ive as in Alaska. We have not y*.\
sem any official report of them be
ii-g fished out in the North Sea, and
the North Sea does not have either
Quality or quantity that Alaska has.
It should be remembered that
there are areas which have been
closed to herring fishing and that
there is a closed season during which
no herring can be caught for com
mercial purposes. In addition tc
these regulations there is a
weekly closed period from six
o’clock Saturday night to six o’
clock Monday morning but, as her
ring fishing can only be carried on
uui 1115 vac in icani)' tinr3
weekly closed period is of 48 hours
duration instead of 36 hours. Be
ing protected by law during the
spawning season on account of the
closed areas and periods and because
of the herring being so prolific, ap
proximately 30,000 eggs for each
female, the herring cannot be fish
ed out.
So why all the unfounded bally
liooing? Chiefly because there are
no scientific data for reference, bu*
only hearsay and prejudices based
on ignorance of facts.
What is the relation between a
large run of herring as compared
with a large run of king salmon?
Absolutely none because there are
always plenty of herring for sal
mon feed. Last year was without
doubt the greatest run of king sal
mon that anybody knew of in Chath
am Straits. The run of king sal
mon was only normal, if that, This
season we had the smallest run of
herring since 1915, and a large run
of king salmon, so it is not proven
that the run of king salmon has anv
bearing on the herring run except
for propoganda, of which someone
always has an overproduction.
What is needed by both the pack
ers and the public is a thorough in
vestigation by competent scientists
and all the baseless charges now
prevailing throughout the country
made by those who have not the
slightest idea of the herring indus
try or fisheries would be eliminat
ed
Very truly yours,
OLAF FLOE.
Muddying The Water
We reprint an article from the
Pacific Fisherman to give our read
ers the best that that special organ
of the packers can bring forward
in defense of their clients. The title
of the article is “Get The Facts
First.” One trouble with that is
that in 1925, before the legislature,
they made the same special plea.
GET THE FACTS FIRST
(Pacific Fisherman)
Various people and organization?
in Southeastern Alaska are again
carrying on an active agitation
against the herring industry, and
urgent petitions are being sent to
the Government to further restrict
fishing, and in particular to stop the
use of herring for reduction. It i*
asserted that the herring fishery is
being depleted, and much stress is
placed upon the potential import
ance of the herring as a food fish,
as well as a food for more valuable
species, such as salmon and halibut.
Many of the claims made, however
do not seem to be supported by con
vincing evidence, and it is by no
means clear that the industry can
rightly be held responsible for the
conditions complained of, even if
they really exist. Further, little no
tice is taken of the fact that herring
fishing is already grealy restricted.
Such facts, as are known scarcely
warrant the assumption that the her"
ring in Southeast Alaska is being de
pleted, or that the toll taken of the
supply Is In any way excessive.
Probably the greatest cause of pre