Trollers Make Recommendations
Ketchikan. Alaska
January 7, 1929
Henry O’Malley,
Commissioner of Fisheries
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir: —
By way of introduction, we wish
to say that we, the undersigned com
mittee, have been appointed by the
A.aska Trollers’ Association to take
up the matter of conservation of
king salmon to the end that the bur
den shall fail most lightly on all and
yet promote the greatest good to the
business of trolling.
The Alaska Trollers’ Association
represents the entire trolling popula
tion of Southeastern Alaska. This
amounts to several thousand troll
< rs.
We wish therefore to urge your
pa.rent consideration of the facts fol
lowing and if we make our point,
that you adopt the regulations favor
ed by us.
We feel justified in asking your
most favorable consideration be
cause you must believe us when we
say that we have the strongest reas
ons for wishing king salmon conserv
ed Among these reasons is self-in
terest. Everything we have is in
vested in this business. Then, too,
our practical experience argues
strongly in our behalf.
Our first point is this: —
Trollers do not catch spawn fish
except on the rarest occasions. There
fore any troll fish that is conserved
diring any one day, week month or
season is merely saved to be caught
on the first open day or season. For
tnife reason, we urge upon you that
your recent order prohibiting power
trolling during the months of Jan
uary, February and March, will not
effectively conserve king salmon. On
the other hand, it will only add to
tbo burdens of those resident troll
ers who by their necessities are com
pelled to brave the dangerous waters
of those months.
Tills dosing order will have the
< beet of saving tlie troll lisli until
life hundred^ of trollers who habit
ually come to Alaska in the spring
chi arrive. We are not in this let
l r arguing against this class of
trollers. We merely call attention
to the fact that the rule merely in
creases the difficulties of those troll
e's who by necessity are compelled
to face the bad weather of the three
months, and for the added reason
tint we wish to propose a substi
tute ruling which will not only con
?< rve king salmon, but will distribute
the burden fairly on every troller.
The substitute ruling which we
here recommend is that you shall
bv an order direct that no king sal
mon shall be caught for commercial
imposes that will dress less than
si\ pounds.
Trollers soon learn what salmon
v. eigh less than six pounds and if
1 hat was the ruling, they would re
run alive to the water all king sal
mon that would not dress six pounds.
These salmon would continue to
grow thus conserving them and also
incieasing our profits later on.
The fish buyers even now have
this classification, but that is not
sufficiently effective since we are still
.bio still to dispose of fish under six
pounds even though for a much low
it price.
Such a ruling would in reality
i rente a closed season on king sal
mon for the entire year. Consider
for a moment what a gain there
would be when several thousand
i rollers begin to save all king sal
mon, not merely for three months,
but for the entire trolling season?
And then consider how ineffective
tht present seasonal closing Is in
<\ mparisou.
We will try herein to help you
to make this comparison. On ac
count of bud weather, the actual
time that trolling can be carried on
during the first three months of the
year is one and one-half months.
Oaring this period, on account of
when trolling is possible would not
exceed 270 hours per troller. The
day cannot exceed more than six
hours. The total number of hours
ire short day, the average trolling
total number of trollers effected is
estimated at 300 hundred, all resi
dents of Alaska and comprising the
most unskillful or most unfortunate
■ •f all the trolling population of
Alaska, both Indians and Whites -
the unskillful by their very lack, rf
skill cannot make enough during
tl e season of comparative good
v,feather to lay off during those th*ee
months, and the unfortunate by
their misfortune being compelled to
tish when their every inclinat on
would urge them to lay off.
Certainly nothing but necessity
Mould send the men out during ihe
-.terms of January, February and
: larch. Experience has shown that
iiifeii that troll during these months
make a bare living. There is no
1 rospect of making a “killing,” a
prospect that has kept the trolling
fleet recruited up with the ever
(hanging thousands of green horns
ot the south who frequently sell out
Iheir fine businesses or quit good
,1< bs because of fabulous stories of
“easy money up north.” On the con
trary, these men are driven out by
ihe sheer necessity of providing food
(to say nothing of clothing) and
shelter for their families, for it Is
(.nly the resident fishing class that
is hit by your closing order.
We wish *•' commend your depart
ment in closing certain inland wa
ters to fish traps for experience has
shown that it Is in these areas that
me king salmon which are about to
spawn are caught.
In conclusion permit us to say
mat we are with you in your desire
to conserve king salmon. And we
lie pe that after careful consideration
of the facts stated in this letter, you
will agree with us that the scheme
of closing the first three months of
the year Is leally not effective, hat