st 1056 ae Protecting Salmon Fisheries LIS ee picture certainly ; indicates an appalling Scene of destruction,” re- marked Justice Gordon Sloan, chairman of the Royal Com- Mission inquiring into the lumber industry of British Columbia, not long ago. Justice Slean had just. seen photographs portraying indescrib- able scenes of destruction to Sal- mon spawning beds with debris, brush, logs and roots jammed in streams preventing salmon from ascending to their Spawning beds. It was brought out in the vari_. ous sittings that the logging com- Panies, with few exceptions were indifferent to the effects of their lumbering operations on the Sal- mon runs. What has happened is that all the shortcuts to Iaking money through use of the cheapest—and most costly to natural resources —tMmethods of logging have taken their toll in the fishing indusry. It has been proven that once the direction of a stream _is changed through logging opera- tions, by the building of wharves OF uprooting of subsoil, the sal= mon finding themselves in unac- customed surroundings, die by. the thousands. This continuous loss in salmon- las only beem understood since more scientific metnods have been adapted to 4 study of the Salmon and its habits and steps taken to restore and preserve the Pacifie Coast’s valuable salmon run, : = e@ iL eee the prompting of fish- eries inspectors the Cana- dian government has recently budgeted $1,000,000 for a fish lad- der in Hell’s Gate Canyon on the Fraser River and it is ex- pected that the United States, ~ Whose fishery problems are so in- timately tied with those of Gan- ada, will match that sum. : it is not-because the. salmon is- a tender or timid fish that some Safeguards are required for its perpetuation, for the salmon will find its way over great obstacles in its urge to reach its spawning grounds. But there are limits evento its high jumping and boldness to pursue its course. And this is where sciencé must come to its aid. In other words, provision must be made for the natural hapits : of the salmon and care taken that a0 obstructions tending to re- strict its natural movement are Maced in its way. »Salmon studies have taught tur experts and fishery inspec- ors that should any logging op- tations or natural changes alter he floor bed of the stream where ‘he salmon was spawned the sal- -aon stops at that point and large umbers of them suffocate. The fact that students of pisci- ‘uiture have been astonished at jie lean years and fat years of salmon migration prompted them |) take a keener interest in their labits. It did not take them Jong ' find out that the salmon had ‘atural habits of returning to ‘ieir spawning grounds: and that 1 their return trip should they id themselves in unaccustomed aroundings, they would pro- “ed no further, with the result at millions of salmon were de- 70yed. : ) tHE Fraser River, in its effect : on the fisheries of both Can- ,a and the U.S., is an interna- nal river. The salmon hatched the shallows of mountain A view of Hell’s Gate streams and lokes live there for a year and then migrate to the Salt waters of the ocean, return- ing after four years to spawn in the frésh waters from which they sid their unusual living cy- cle. On their return trip the salmon become an object of international interest and value beeause they move through both © American ‘and Canadian waters and the -fishermen of both countries join in the quest which yields mil- lions of dollars worth of canned Salmon each year. , : But to the great surprise of sal- mon fishermen, some years were very Sood and other years were very poor. It did not at that time occur to them to connect their poor years with new logging: operations, yet that was the main_ reason for their poor catch. When spawning beds were uprooted and streams diverted from their course as a result of “highball” logging the fish could not find their accustomed path and died. Some years ago the Fraser run cf sockeye salmon yielded al- most a quarter of a_ billion Pounds of the finest quality Canned salmon which at present prices would have a value of more than $40,000,000. Consider- ably less than that Is now con- sidered good pickings for the year. And the reason is that until recently there has been a total disregard for salmon resources and a lack of scientific investiga- tion. “Get your catch and get out” was the slogan. But the log- ging companies also had a slo- gan: “Get your logs and get out.” Entire years of poor salmon fishing could not he explained except in terms of the informa- tion brought out in the present inquiry that not only were waste- ful logging methods destroying the forests but also the salmon fisheries. @ Coats s tons in both coun- tries have aleady shown that rock blasting during railroad con- eee ‘men’s Federal from downstream. Gauge on rock at night shows the depth of water. struction and rock slides have so altered the course of streams that salmon could not ascend to their spawning beds. Now to this must be added the tremendous Gamage caused by logging meth- ods. In the US., the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Com- mission reports that a depleted run of sockeye salmon will re- cuperate rapidly if given a chance and with this in mind, it is advocating certain necessary steps. The commission asserts that ever 40 obstructions to the free Passage of salmon have been found in the Fraser River. It finds that there are large areas in the river’s upper watershed to which the runs of salmon in cer- tain years have been completely destroyed due to obstruction and blasting. It would be futile, the commis- Sion states, to attempt any regu- latory measures with the salmon runs unless these obstructions are removed -to overcame the threat of destruction at Hell’s Gate Canyon. . In Canada, the United Fisher- Union. has long advocated conservation of the salmon fisheries and advanced Proposals to end the threat of extinction by questionable log- ging and blasting operations. The union: has also stressed the need of regulations being enforced to the point of revoking offenders’ licenses against those who prac- tice unethical methods of salmon tishing. In support of its recommenda- tions for the expenditures of the large sums of money needed the international commission argued: “One good year’s run restored should produce a catch worth ten times the entire proposed invest- ment. And until continued and adequate regulations and protec- tion, this enormous food resource should beeome recurrent year after year in perpetuity.” 8 eB moe eae ga ee nal THE NATIVE BROTHERHOOD of British Columbia GREETS ALL WORKERS AND MEMBERS OF OUR UNITED NATIONS’ FORCES! CN? Our Native Boys are Equals on Fighting and Production Fronts Alike We Ask Equality and Justice for Our Native People on BUY VICTORY RONDS Fo Speed Victory and Peace oa ea aaa ea ae PPP cP Pa Continued from Page 9 When the Boys_ Come Home time to free hospitalization if he is suffering from Wwouuds or ill- ness caused by, or arising out of, his service during war. In considering this clause, one question arises: What allowance will be made if hospitalization takes place at a period after 18 months have expired? Will the pensions department, with the authority invested in it, ssrant a temporary allowance if it is needed, or will the man and his family go on relief? Vocational Training Facilities: To facilitate the return of ex- servicemen into civilian life on a self-supporting basis, vocational schools from coast-to-coast will be open to them. They wil have the opportunity te brush up on old trades and learn new ones. It is the intention of the govern- ment to use the chain of schools now used for training service- men and to supplement them, wherever necessary, with £facili- ties for training those who desire to take a special course, such as Gptieal grinding, aero-dynamics. Compliments of ARMY & NAVY DEPARTMENT STORES NEW WESTMINSTER of CANADA _ MAY DAY : . to WARRIORS and WORKERS | : Sette : Under this. scheme, the « servicemen will be able to lear practically any trade which yw help’ to make him selfsupportin For 52 weeks in the first 7 months after discharge, - th. Standard allowance will be Pai’ to the exserviceman attending | trade school, and if an extensic: is necessary, it may be srante __ This is a decided advance froy the program of trade trainin for veterans of Then, men in receipt of a if Were given the opportunity 7 attend a trade school. ~ i It is earnestly to be hoped the! onee the war is over, this prc. gram of traiming will commence at once, that trade and academi training will be made availabl to the army sirforce and navy, wherever possible while waitin; for discharge. The present edu cational personnel could been trusted with the taslk. -(A second article will appea in the magazine section of ou May 13 issue.) ee GREETINGS» the Le ee FU ae ae VANCOUVER At ——>\ 16 East Hastings May Day Moulders & Foundry Workers Union Local No.'1 (CCL) Greetings MArine 4723 To HASTEN VICTORY PASS THE AMMUNITION! ~ ON ALL UNITE CANADA = CITY FIRE FIGHTERS’ UNION | Local No. 1 FRONTS!