doubling in weight of silver sal
mon during the summer just
preceding their spawning. Be
sides the economic loss resulting
from the killing of young stock
that will soon grow to a much
larger size there is the possible
danger that this fishery will
drain a run of salmon excessiv
lv before there is any appreci
able effect in the way of a re
duced catch in the rivers that
support the runs.
4.. 5easonal changes in percent
age of immature fish caught.
These studies of the troll
caught salmon have also shown
that the fish caught early in the
season (May and June) consist
in large part of individuals
which would not mature dur
ing the year in which taken.
Later in the season (July and
August) the catch consists
chiefly of maturing fish. On
this account an effort has been
m • q in Oregon, and possibly
also in Washington and Calif
ornia, to limit the trolling to the
months in whicn relatively few
immature fish are caught. If
the same thing applies in the
Alaska troll fishery, it would
seem wise to restrict this fishery
also in a similar way, although
such a move should not be taken
without some investigation to
determine the extent to which
the same conditions exist there
as along the west coast.
5.. 0ther possible substitutes for
the present regulations.
It does seem, however, that
the arguments presented
against the entire closing of
troll fishing during January,
February and March are worthy
of serious consideration because
this closure apparently restricts
only a comparatively few local
resident fishermen who are in
need of the support that this
fishery alone can give them.
The following suggested sub
stitutes may possibly serve the
purpose of the regulation in
question: (1) The weekly closed
period during the part of the
year when trolling alone is per
mitted might be increased suf
ficiently to compensate for the
three months during which fish
ing is now entirely prohibited.
The average time during which
trolling alone has been permit
ted under the previous regula
tions is about nine months so
that by increasing the weekly
close period by two days (mak
ing a total weekly close period
of GO hours) approximately the
same result would be accomp
lished as by closing the three
winter months entirely. 2. The
number of lines per boat might
be still further reduced, either
during the entire season or dur
ing part of it. Thus the num
ber of lines per boat might be
decreased to four instead of tne
present six.
0..Need of Restriction.
There has been such a mark
ed growth to the trolling indus
try in southeastern Alaska that
some regulation is deemed es
sential to the proper conserva
tion of the King salmon runs.
Otherwise we may anticipate an
unlimited expansion of the fish
ery and consequent overfishing
and depletion. Such an out
come would be disastrous and
the burden would fall most
heavily upon the resident fisher
men who depend most largely
upon this resource for their
means of livlihood.
THE TROLLER’S REJOINDERi
TO O’MALLEY
Ketchikan, Feb. 6th, 1929
Hon. Dan Sutherland,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Sutherland:
We wish you would kindly
take up with Mr. O’Malley in
person our answer to his memo
randum on our proposal to
change the regulations affect
ing salmon trolling in S. E. Alas
ka dated Jan. 23rd, 1929, and
forwarded to us by you.
1 Proposed Substitute.
Under this heading he refers
to our proposed substitute, viz:
instead of closing down the first
three months of each year that
he make it unlawful to catch
for commercial use any king
salmon that would dress under
six pounds.
He makes two objections,
First, that very few hooked fish
survive, Secondly that such a
regulation would be difficult to
enforce during the season when
other forms of gear are work
ing.
Regarding the first objection,
we have to say that VERY FEW
HOOKED KING SALMON DIE
when shaken back into the wa
ter immediately because small
king salmon take the hook
either on the side of the mouth
or thru the upper jaw and hence
are easily shaken off.
Regarding the second objec
tion, the facts will show that
no king salmon are caught by
either seines or gillnets in the
areas open to trolling.
This leaves only the fishtrap
and as to this type, the Bureau
of fisheries has already elimin
ated them by the very policies
which it seems to have adopted
namely, keeping the traps closed
up to the very time when the
fish for which they are design
ed begin to run, and also the
closing down of inland waters
to traps.
The first ruling (closed early
season) has closed the traps
during the best trolling months.
The second ruling (closing in
land wTaters) protects the spawn
ing king salmon.
But how about the traps dur
ing the canning season? They
catch very few king salmon
during this season because king
s a 1 m o n seem to avoid the
schools of humpies and dog sal
mon.
Continued on Page 13