is depleted red salmon streams
and an almost hopeless showing
of red salmon production for
last season.
Salmon Pack Statistics
The average annual produc
tion of red salmon in Alaska
during the six years up to 1930
while the White fisheries law
has been in operation, was 1.
604,962 cases per year. For the
past year of 1930 the red salmon
pack was 832,626 cases, or ap
proximately half the average for
the six previous years.
Authoritative Information
For those who believe that I
take a biased attitude in describ
ing the conditions in which the
fishing industry finds itself, I
would quote the opinion of the
packing interests as published
in their official organ, The Pa
cific Fisherman, for September
1930. Says the Pacific Fisher
man:
The Alaska red pack is less
than half that of last year,
which was about average, the
output being the smallest sinee
1898 (in a period of 32 years)
This condition is ascribed main
ly to the failure of the red salm
on run in Western Alaska, where
the production of 355,200 cases
the lowest yield of the species
lecorded since commercial fish
ing was fairly commenced in
this district.
1 now quote briefly the dole
ful report of the Pacific Fisher
man for August as it describes
the conditions in the large red
flsh areas. Here is what it says:
Bristol Bay, the great red-fish
district, has had the worst fail
ure in its history with a total for
all. varieties, of 395,933.. This
may be attributed partly to dras
tic restrictions, but actual short
age of fish was undoubtedly the
principal factor.
And this is what it says ot
Chignik Bay:
Chignik, which showed mark
ed improvement last year, has
been a flat failure, being closed
most of the time to permit es
capement, and while the season
has considerable time to run
there is no indication of improve
Karluk
ment.
And now Karluk, where the
marvelous machinery operates
and where the Secretary of
Commerce maintains a water
tight monopoly for the benefit
cf the big seine owners, this
from the Pacific Fisherman of
October, 1930.
Dr. \Vi lis H. Rich, in charge
of Pacific salmon investigation >,
returning from Alaska in the
middle of September, stated that
this year’s failure of the Karluk
River red run is inexplicable on
the basis of any data now avail
able.
Doctor Rich, a most capable
and withal honest scientist, is
“up a tree,” so to speak, regard
ing the failure of K^riuk fishing
'ear, but let him leave it to
his associates, who prepare the
annual reports to show that it
was a premeditated act of God
and to see to it that no terres
trial powers are involved.
Comparison
Thus is recited the story of
the Alaska red fishery failure.
But let is compare this failure
with the statistical reports of
the 1930 salmon fishery in Brit
ish Columbia. The total salmon
pack of the Canadian Province
of British Columbia for the sea
son of 1930 was 2,163,712 cases,
the greatest salmon pack in the
history of the Province. The red
salmon pack amounted to 469,
879 cases, the greatest pack of
redfish in 15 years.
Comment
With the presentation of
these figures it would seem un
necessary for me to comment on
them. The figures should
speak for themselves. The im
mense pack of fish in British
Columbia and the evident re
storation of their red-salmon
pack to the volume of 15 years
ago is a testimonial to the ad
ministration of the British Co
lumbia fisheries by practical
men, who introduce no child
ish methods such as driving
salmon through an aperture in
a fence in order to count them,
in permitting a legitimate es
capement of fish to the spawn
ing grounds. But above all the
British Province speaks volumes
lor a people who regulate their
fisheries according to law;
where there are equal rights for
all fishermen and favors to
none; where there is no discord
among the fishing population
because all participate in the
taking of this great natural
provincial resource on terms
of absolute equality.
ihe Object Lesson
Southeastern Alaska’s 1930
salmon pack was about 3,000,000
cases and not less than 3,000
men were employed to take the
fish from the water.
British Columbia pack for
1930 was approximately 2,000,
000 cases, and they employed
9,000 men to catch the fish.
Why should I comment fur
ther on this subject? While our
Nation is laboring in the throes
of industrial depression and
while unemployment of our ci
tizens is the serious country
wide topic of our population,
why not step across the inter
national boundary line and note
the great object lesson in distri
bution of employment that is
shown in the figures I have sub
mitted.
I would call the attention of
our statesmen and economists
who are presenting economic
theories in explanation of cur
nationalunemplovment situation
that are almost as incomprehens
ible to the ordinary mind as is
Doctor Einstein’s theory on re
lativity to make close investi
gation of the British Columbia