88 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
important features of certain subjects of special investigation or 
inquiry. 
ALASKA FISHERIES LEGISLATION 
Under date of April 7, 1938, the President approved an act amend- 
ing the Act of August 14, 1937, which prohibited commercial salmon 
fishing by means of stake or set nets in the Bristol Bay area except 
by persons having resided continuously for a period of at least 5 years 
within a radius of 30 miles of the place of set-netting. The new act 
permits such fishing by persons residing continuously within the said 
area for a period of 2 years and, in the 1938 season, by persons residing 
there continuously after June 1, 1937. 
The Act of June 14, 1906, entitled ‘‘An act to prevent aliens from 
fishing in the waters of Alaska,’’ was amended by an act approved 
by the President on June 25, 1938, whereby all fishing in Alaska is 
limited to citizens of the United States, or to persons owing allegiance 
thereto, and to certain residents of the Territory. Under this act 
only the following persons may fish in the waters of Alaska: 
1. Citizens of the United States. 
2. Bona fide residents of the United States who have declared their intention 
to become citizens of the United States. 
38. Natives of Alaska. 
4. Aliens owing allegiance to the United States, i. e., Filipinos. 
5. Bona fide residents of Alaska who have been residents for a period of three 
consecutive years prior to June 25, 1938, and who since June 25, 1935, have been 
continuously or seasonally engaged in commercial fishing in Alaskan waters. 
Aliens in this category, however, may continue to fish only until June 25, 1941, 
unless in the meantime they declare their intention to become citizens of the 
United States. 
The text of the amendments is as follows: 
Be it enacted by ihe Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled, That Public Law Numbered 282, Seventy-fifth 
Congress, entitled ‘‘An Act making further provision for the fisheries of Alaska,” 
approved August 14, 1937 (50 Stat. 639), is amended to read as follows: ‘‘That 
section 1 of the Act approved June 6, 1924, entitled ‘An Act for the protection of 
the fisheries of Alaska, and for other purposes’ (438 Stat. 464), as amended, is 
further amended by inserting in said section at the end of the first proviso thereof 
another proviso to read as follows: ‘Provided further, That in the area embracing 
Bristol Bay and the arms and tributaries thereof, no person shall at any time 
fish for or take salmon with a stake net or set net, for commercial purposes, 
unless such person shall be a citizen of the United States and shall have theretofore _ 
continuously resided for the period of at least two years within said area; but 
for the salmon fishing season of 1938, residence within said area continuously 
after June 1, 1937, shall be deemed sufficient compliance with the residence re- 
quirements of this proviso:’ ”’ 
Approved, April 7, 1938. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled, That section 1 of the Act of Congress approved 
June 14, 1906 (34 Stat. 263), entitled ‘“‘An Act to prevent aliens from fishing in 
the waters cf Alaska’’, is amended to read as follows: 
“That it shall be unlawful for any person not a citizen of the United States, 
or who has declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, and is 
not a bona fide resident therein, or for any company, corporation, or association 
not organized or authorized to transact business under the laws of any State, 
Territory, or district thereof, or for any person not a native of Alaska, to catch 
or kill, or attempt to catch or kill, except with rod, spear, or gaff, any fish of 
any kind or species whatsoever in any of the waters of Alaska under the juris- 
diction of the United States: Provided, however, That nothing contained in this 
Act shall prevent those lawfully taking fish in the said waters from selling the 
- 
| 
