therefore rests upon the herring packers and
fertilizer plants. The taking and killing of too
many of this species has done and is doing it a
serious hnrm to the hurt of the territory. “The
data collected shows a steadily declining abund
ance of herring in the central Alaska region and
protection should be afforded the two and three
year old fish, because they grow very rapidly
during this period and reach maturity the fol
lowing yco ” the report states. In the report of
last year, Mr. Rounsefell declared that depletion
was an accomplished fact in Southeastern Alas
ka. Since which time the operators have moved
their operat'ons to Central Alaska and already,
in this short time, Mr. Rounsefell has sounded a
wrnrng which the Bureau of Fisheries and the
commercial operators cannot afford to ignore.
As a feather in our editorial cap we give notice
that we feel vindicated in our policy of object
ing to any commercial operation which only
means the ultimate destruction of any fishery
of Alaska and because the truth of the charges
wo made three or four years aeo has thus been
recognized by the Bureau of Fisheries.
Resolutions Adopted by the Grand Camp of the Alaska
Native Brotherhood in Convention at Ketchikan
CORRECT PRINCIPLES OF
FISHERY REGULATIONS
We, the Grand Convention of
the Alaska Native Brotherhood
hereby reaffirm on constructive
propo als for fi. hcry regulations
adopted by our conventions at
Hydaburg in 1925 and Sitka in
1928 and Haines in 1929 and
again offer them to the Secre
tary cf Commerce as the basis
of correct fishery regulations,
tc-wit:
The Unit of conservation is
the salmon stream itself, each
such stream being a special
problem. The re fore,
1. No fishing should be al
lowed until the salmon stream in
question is properly seeded;
2. Thereafter fishing should
be allowed to the mouth of the
stream;
3. But whenever the amount
of seed fish in that stream de
creases below the safety point
(this point to be decided by com
petent fishery supervisory of
ficers), the dead line should be
moved av^ay from the stream to
a point where a sufficient num
ber of fish are protected and
their escapement into that
stream guaranteed;
4. Thereafter the dead-line
should fee placed at whatever
point necessary to keep that
stream properly seeded without
overstocking it, the supervising
officer to have the power to
designate that point.
5. There shall Toe oat one con
tinuous season for fishing ex
cept the weekly closed season
which season the same super
visory officer shall have power
to extend for such period as
m’ght be necessary for the par
ticular stream in question.
6. The importance of the
fishing business to the residents
of Alaska is such that enforce
ment officers should not be
withdraw^ the season of
commercial fishing.
7. T<- is our f’rm belief that
the direct cause cf depletion is
the fish trap and that if this
device wove abolished (as in
British Columbia) the whole
matter of proper fishery regula
tions would adjust themselves
both as to proper escapement,
natrok r*io"oq areas, closed sea
sons. and the nv?ce.
Be it resolved that copies of
these proposals he e'vnf to the
Secretary of Commerce, the
Delegate from Alaska to Con
gress. and the United States
Commissioner cf Fisheries.
Adopted by the Grand Con
vention of the Alaska Native
Brotherhood at Ketchikan, Al
aska, on the 14th day of Nov
ember, 1930.
Louis Sholridge,
Grand President.
Attest: Eli Katanook,
Grand Secretary.
-x
AN APPEAL TO CONGRESS
We affirm that the Natives of
Alaska are loyal citizens of the
United Stater and that we are
under the rrolection of its con
stitution.
That among the precious guar
antees of our Constitution, we
v V that every person accused
of crime is presumed to be in
nocent and entitled to a fair
healing v rh the right of coun
sel before a competent court and
that the trial be speedy;
That mi''■■demeanors should be
tried before the nearest justice
courts wherever and whenever
possible;
That defendants should not be
compelled to wait several months
and to travel from one hundred
to three hundred miles to an
swer to the District Court when
the justice court has jurisdiction
unless on the motion of the
dependent;
We fm-ther affirm that many
innocent fishermen are accused
of violations of our fishery laws
and when such fishermen de