THE FISH COMMISSION
Out of the meeting of representa
tive fishermen at Hoonah, Alaska,
during November there came a res
olution on the question of our fish
eries, which is worth printing. Those
Alaskans who are acquainted with
the facts will admit that they are
not over-stated, and that this resolu
tion is an important contribution to
the subject and well worth seiious
thought. Of course, these resident
fishermen insist first of all upon Ire
abolishment of the trap. The new
feature which is added effects the
Alaska Advisory Board, which is
supposed to represent the Territory
and whose advice is sought by Secre
tary Herbert Hoover. The objection
to the present Advisory Board is
that they are hand-picked by Gover
nor Scott C. Bone with the single
purpose of agreeing with Mr. Hoover
and Fish Commissioner O’Malley,
and that no person of an independ
ent mind could possibly be appointed
to that Board. This Board is called
the Alaska Advisory Board for the
purpose of deceiving the citizens >,f
the United States into thinking that
the Board is really representative of
Alaska sentiment, and consequently
that there is perfect harmony be
tween the Territory and Mr. Hoover.
RESOLUTION
FISH
WHEREAS, the Alaska Native
Brotherhood represents over five
thousand Natives of Alaska, and the
largest portion of the permanent
fishing population of Southeastern
Alaska; and
WHEREAS, we are confident that
by training we have the most expert
knowledge of our fisheries; and
WHEREAS, our experience and
our knowledge of our fisheries have
always been disregarded by the
Bureau of Fisheries, by Congress and
other Governmental bodies;
WE HEREBY RESOLVE to place
our conclusions before the public
once more, and ask that our Delegate
Dan Sutherland press our claims
before the Secretary of Commerce,
Congress, and the President of the
United States. We affirm:
First: That the direct cause of
the now admitted depletion of our
fisheries is the fish trap and the
most obvious cure for this condition
is the abolishment of the same;
Second: It is a well known fact
in Alaska that the Bureau of Fish
eries looks at the fishery, problems
of Alaska through the eyes of the
big packers and their lawyers. There
fore the entire burden of fish con
servation has been placed upon the
small fishermen, of whom we form
such a large part. For example: In
1920 all seiners were prohibited
from fishing within five hundred
yards of every fish stream, except
at Karluk; this exception being made
solely in the interest of the large
packers there; whereas no exception
is made for us, although we are in
the same position as the packers
on the Karluk. In the second place,
under the White Bill all the new
regulations propose to save the fish
by cutting down the catch of the
small fisherman. In the areas closed
during 1924, the bays closed cut
down our catch by one hundred and
eighty thousand fish, according to
the Bureau of Fisheries figures,
while the traps give up only fifty
thousand. In the proposed regula
tions for 1925, thirty-eight more
bays where we fish will be closed,
while the trap system is affected but
slightly. The proposal to put traps
two miles apart while apparently a
conservation measure, it merely
saves the canneryman from putting
in dummy traps, which are now re
quired to protect the good locations.
The obvious answer is this: If it
is good for traps to be two miles
apart in Icy Straits, it must be just
as good in the Ketchikan and West
Coast districts, and hence the Bureau
of Fisheries can give no valid ex
cuse for applying the two mile rule
in Icy Straits and not in the Ket
chikan and West Coast of Prince of
Wales Districts.
Third. The seasonal closed sys
tem was merely the adoption of a
proposal of a big trap man who used
certain dates, and this seasonal plan
with the result: The catch of the
traps is not affected because the
season is open during the time the
fish are caught in traps, while the
season is closed when the fish get
Past the traps and reach the sein
ing grounds. Furthermore the Bur
eau of Fisheries adopted this trap
man’s scheme without the slightest
data to justify the rule.
WF THEREFORE protest against
the seasonal closed method of con
servation as unscientific and not
supported in any degree by experi
ence, by facts of any kind, or by
reason.
Fourth: The Secretary of Com
merce is now advised by a so-called
“Alaska Advisory Board,” composed
of Alaskans appointed by the Fed
eral Governor, who has up to date
appointed only those who would be
sure ti say “Amen” to United States
Fish Commissioner, with the result
that the claims of real Alaskans
have been disregarded.
Fifth: We make free therefore
to make the following proposals as
being strongly supported by sound
reason and experience:
1. That traps be abolished.
2. That the members of the Alas
ka Advisory Board be elected by the
people;
3. That all regulations be sub
mitted to or originate with the said
Advisory Board.
Resolution Committee,
WILLIAM L. PAUL,
Chairman.
ELI KATANOOIv,
ANDREW HOPE.
The new officers of the Kasaan
Camp are as follows: President,
Wells Jones; Vice-President Nick
Baranovich; Secretary, S. G. Davis;
Treasurer, Joe Jones.
GEORGE OHASHI
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