66 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1916. 
THE BAIT SITUATION. 
Broad claims have been made that British Columbia has a greater supply of and 
superior facilities for obtaining bait, and that if the United States attempted by 
way of legislation to alter existing conditions Canada would retaliate by refusing 
American fishermen bait. 
As the result of a careful study of the bait situation, it is believed that the 
Canadian claims are unfounded, and that the advantages with respect to the supply 
of bait lie with the United States and not with the Dominion of Canada. Fresh 
herring, practically the only bait used by the North Pacific offshore fleet, run in 
the waters of Puget Sound from January to May. They run in southeastern Alaska 
around Ketchikan and Yes Bay from November until April, and from March until 
October and November in the waters north of Ketchikan, such as Chatham Strait 
and Icy Strait. There is no place on the west coast of North America that herring 
are so plentiful the year round as in southeastern Alaska. In Canadian waters the 
herring are plentiful in the Straits of Georgia and thereabouts from January until May. 
In the northern waters—or those in the Prince Rupert region—the run is from the 
middle of December until the middle of April. In the late summer and fall of the 
year, bait is very scarce in Canada. The fact of the matter is, that at Prince 
Rupert on December 6, the fall herring had not yet put in their appearance, and 
for two months prior thereto the Canadian fishermen had been getting their bait 
in southeastern Alaska. The Alaskan cold-storage plants are now freezing herring 
and are providing for furnishing fishermen with bait at any time the herring are scarce. 
It appears that the herring runs are not established with the same regularity as is 
the case of the salmon and other fishes. Occasionally there may be a week or a 
month when herring are plentiful in Canadian waters and are scarce in American 
waters, but the fact is that there are months when there are no available herring in 
Canadian waters, to weeks in American waters. The advantage that Canada has had 
in the bait situation has simply been the advantage to the fisherman of being able to 
buy bait where he sells his fish. If he wishes to fish south of Dixon Entrance, it is 
more convenient to buy bait at Prince Rupert than to run north to Ketchikan and 
then south again to the fishing banks. Were an American market definitely estab- 
lished at Ketchikan, or any other southeastern Alaskan port, the fishermen would 
have no trouble in getting bait. In fact, as above stated, during the months of Octo- 
ber and November, 1916, the Canadian fishing vessels have been compelled to go to 
southeastern Alaska for fresh herring. 
The thing that interests the fishermen and fishing vessels at present is a competitive 
buying market in southeastern Alaska, as they admit, and it is plain on the face of 
existing conditions, that either Ketchikan, Wrangell, or Petersburg is more con- 
venient as a year-round proposition than is Prince Rupert, or any other Canadian 
port. 
The fish on the Oregon and Washington banks, and those off Cape Flattery, the west 
coast of Vancouver Island, together with those from the southern part of Hecate 
Strait, such as Cape Scott or the Goose Island grounds, will undoubtedly be landed 
at Seattle, as it is the nearest port, supplies are cheaper, and a higher price can be 
paid for the fish as laid down at the companies’ plants and freezers. Bait is always 
obtainable at Seattle, either fresh or frozen. The Hecate Strait grounds, adjacent to 
Prince Rupert, have already reached a serious state of depletion, so that only the 
smaller boats of 10,000 pounds and less can get paying catches there. 
Canada can not retaliate against American fishermen in the matter of bait without 
the greatest injury to herself. By making similar regulations restricting their rights 
to purchase bait on the American side of the line they would be at a decided disad- 
vantage. As a country she can not consume the fish caught by her own vessels, nor 
can her own vessels use the bait caught by her herring fishermen. At Ketchikan 
