ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES, 1911. 7 



On Sunday, August 6, Alaska Packers' Association trap no. 1, 

 located in Behm Canal, near Cape Camano, was found in partial 

 fishing condition, and on August 7 John Coyne, the head watcliman, 

 was arraigned before the United States commissioner at Ketchikan, 

 and bound over to the next grand jury. The case was presented to 

 the grand jury on October 23, but that body reported no true bill. 



On June 27 a complaint was lodged in the court of the United 

 States commissioner at Seldovia by Charles Miller, alleging that 

 John and Andrew Wik had unlawfully begun the construction of a 

 fish trap upon a site occupied by him for set nets. The evidence 

 produced, however, showed that at the time the construction of 

 the trap was begun the complainant had no stake net nor any part 

 of one on the site in issue. The court decided that the trap was 

 not unlawful and that previous occupancy by the complainant did 

 not bring defendant's action under the act of 1906. 



In November a Japanese fisherman, Miyata, was charged before 

 the United States commissioner at Ketchikan with violation of the 

 act (approved June 14, 1906) to prevent aliens fishing in the waters 

 of Alaska. A statement of facts was agreed upon and the matter 

 presented to United States Judge Thomas K. Lyons, who ruled 

 adversely to the contention of the agent of the Bureau. 



In November 21 Japanese were arrested, charged with fishing 

 during the weekly close season. The alleged offense occurred in 

 Yes Bay, southeast Alaska, and the defendants were fishing for 

 herring with purse seines. After a hearing before the United States 

 commissioner at Ketchikan all were bound over to the next grand 

 jury, which will not meet until early in 1912. 



SALMON RESERVATIONS. 

 GENERAL QUESTION OF SALMON FISHERY REGULATION, 



Before the most intelUgent regulations can be established for the 

 insurance of a continuous supply of salmon, several questions remain 

 to be definitely answered. As yet the fundamental propositions on 

 which legislation is based are hypothetical, deduced from the general 

 knowledge and beliefs as to the various species of salmon and their 

 relatives rather than inductions from known facts. 



Among the most practical questions still unanswered may be 

 stated these: 



1. Do all species of sahnon regularly return to the home stream, 

 i. e., the waters where hatched; or are they diverted at any time by 

 adverse winds, food conditions, etc. ? 



2. May the run in a stream be built up by closing the stream to 

 fishing, and if so to what extent ? 



9275°— 13 20 



