BUREAU OF FISHERIES
CHANGING POSITION
We hold no brief for the United
States Bureau of Fisheries. So
long as Congress says that our
fishery law shall be administered
by this Bureau, just so long will
we insist that this Bureau do the
job right.
Our position always will be that
Alaska ought of right to adminis
ter the fishery laws and that we
do not need the guardian who
sits in Washington over four thous
and miles away.
The closed season which the
Bureau of Fisheries adopted with
out inquiry has been the severest
blow which has been struck at the
business men in Alaska. The evils
thereof are mainley two, the first
no average escapement is per
mitted throut the season; second
only the late fish are conserved
confronting us with the danger
that in time, only late fish will
run.
We are glad to print below a
letter witten by Henry 0,Malley
to Sidney D. Charles of Ketchikan
in which Mr. O'Malley shows plain
ly that he is wrestling with the
problems raised by the seasonal
regulations, as follows:
Dear Sir:
I would acknowledge receipt of
your letter which I found on my
desk upon my return to Washing
ton. I want to thank you for your
suggestions and the observations
which you have made in connect
ion with the salmon fishery of
Alaska.
Question has been raised in my
own mind as to whether or not
the present seasonal closed periods
in Alaska would bring about the
desired results in the salmon in
dustry. I have been giving consid
erable thought to making the week
ly closed season long enough so as
to assure good escapement of sal
mon each week f»om the beginning
of the fishing season until it ends,
thereby providing for an average
escapement throughout the season.
This type of regulation, I rea
lize, would not be satisfactory to
the canners on account of the fact
that it would force them to oper
ate longer seasons. However, on
the other hand, it would cause
them to take a percentage of fish
from all varieties, and it would
place the burden entirely upon the
higher grade of fish, such as reds
and pinks.
You know at the present time,
if a packer has filled his cans by
the 18th of August he closes down
and this permits the fall fish
to escape without their quota being
used for food purposes.
I again raise the question— if
we continue to close at the end
of each season, may we not in time
produce a later run of pink sal
mon, than we now have? There
would be an advantage to the peo
ple in the industry, if for any rea
son unknown, a run should appear
late. If we only maintained an
extended weekly closed period, no
matter whether the run came early
or late the fishermen and packers
would get their percentage of it.
I am not prepared to take up
this type of regulation at the
present time as I want to have
the tagging operations in South
eastern Alaska carefully digested
before we definitely consider it.
I am raising these points at this
time so that the people of Alaska
may have an opportunity to con
sider the situation and secure
their reaction.
I am very glad to learn of the
escapement of fish to the various
spawning beds which you have
observed and I may say that we
have similiar reports from most
all sections of Alaska. It certainly
is encouraging because an escape
ment of that character pro
duce future runs.
I feel as you do that some
method must be devised whereby
the fish must be removed from the
traps promptly upon the beginning
of the closed season, and the spil
lers and pots raised from the
water, and I am considering a
regulation of that character for
the coming year.
I shall be glad at any time in
the future to receive constructive
suggestions from you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Yours sincerely,
Henry 0‘Malley
Commissioner.
The school tax for the Third
Division so far this year is $49,GOO
as compared with $49,000
last year. The Bristol Bay collec
ion (heretofore farmed out at 10
per cent.) has amounted to $28,000.
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