September 7, 1962
THE FISHERMAN
Page 3
Heavy Pink Escapement To Atnarko
Despite the phenomenal 11 million pink salmon catch in the central areas during July and August, one of the heaviest escapements in recent years transformed the Atnarko this week into "a river of living gold," in the words of Pacific area fisheries director W. R. Hourston.
The Atnarko, which joins the Talchako to form the Bella Coola River, is one of the province's major pink salmon producing ! areas. Spawning activity reached its peak there this week and fisheries officers were directing visit- , ors to vantage points along the j main spawning grounds 40 miles | from Bella Coola.
Regretting that the isolation of the area placed the "awe inspiring sight" of the spawning grounds beyond the reach of most people and precluded organised tours, Hourston emphasised the importance of the pink salmon runs to the fishing industry and the economy generally.
The value of this year's catch, he pointed out, was between four and five million dollars, "by far the brightest part of the salmon fishery this year."
Unemployed Want Work At Trade Union Wages
Vancouver and District Unemployed Council sees a return to the relief concepts of the Hungry Thirties in the idea advanced at the recent conference of provincial premiers that people receiving social assistance should be compelled to work for it.
"We are not opposed to working at trade union wages and under trade union conditions, but we will not tolerate using tht unemployed for cheap labor," states Council chairman John McCuish.
"We cannot see the economic advantage of returning to the idea of digging holes and filling them again that was common in the thirties
ANATOMY OF A GRIEVANCE
Packer Crew Wins Fight For Pay Before Sailing
McKay's residence. He then said he would do his best to contact
By HOMER STEVENS UFAWU Secretary Treasurer
On Saturday, August 11 between j someone(ini the Company. 5 and 6 p.m., a call was received I FURNE
r ifry0mgCliff CoX"1^ deTega^on the packer New Fraser,
utilise the rich natural resources of Canada to provide full employ ment for all those able to work, thereby eliminating the necessltj of welfare to such people and lessening the burden on the taxpayers of this country."
McCuish prepared this statement for the Vancouver Sun at that paper's own request and also sent it to the Canadian Press. But, Council secretary Doreen Skinner informed The Fisherman last week, "We are still waiting to see it in print."
NOTICE TO MARINES
West side Hecate Strait: A flashing white light has been established on Scudder Point in Lat. 52°25'48" N., Long. 131°14'10" W. Height 22 feet above, high water, characteristic % second flash 5% second eclipse, Chart 3808,
★ ★ ★ Southwest side Hecate Strait: A
black spar buoy with white reflector band has been placed in 15 fathoms of water to mark the north end of New England Rocks in Lat. 52°20'50" N. Long. 131°09'30" W., bearing 142° eight cables from Copper Island Light, LL No. 584, Canadian Charts 3853.
★ ★ *
The National Harbors Board of Vancouver reports that a temporary mooring buoy has been established for three months 200 feet east of the south end of the Home Oil Dock, North Vancouver, Vancouver Harbor. This buoy is only for securing cement pontoons, which will have lanterns on either end at night.
★ ★ *
The three pile dolphin in position 53°34'00" N., 131°53'00" W. in Hecate Strait has been removed.
Mariners are advised that Haans Island LL No. 586.5 has been relit.
★ * *
Effective September 4, the dredge Fort Langley will operate in the vicinity of Tilbury Island for a period of three weeks.
★ ★ ★ Mariners are advised that the
depths in the narrows in Roscoe Bay four cables west of Maryle-bone Point, Lat. 50° 10' N., Long. 124°45' W. (approx.) is awash at low water, boulders. (Ref. Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart 3562).
★ ★ *
The temporary lighted buoy in Fulford Harbor has been discontinued. A flashing white light 10' feet above high water has been established on the five foot drying rock 354° distant 16.25 cables from Isabella Island Light LL No. 174, Chart 3452.
Landings to September 4
Modest Salmon Catch In Convention Waters
Daily Canadian Sockeye Catch
August 28 ________ 40,252 Closed 315,813 51,000 447,074
August 29 ................. 19,577 Closed 196.289 28,000 475.074
August 30 .....-............ 13,918 520,223 Closed 35,000 510,074
August 31 __......... 7,737 48,515 Closed 24.000 534.074
September 1 ........... 312 91,065 385,985 Closed 534,074
September 2 ..... Closed 152,331 466,682 Closed 534.074
September 3 120 120,485 401,994 83.000 617,074
September 4 19,760 Closed 458,319 46,000 663,074
Season Ttl. to Date 787,505 3,416,355 3,846,281 663,074
Daily United States Sockeye Catch
August 28 38.212
August 29 .................. Closed
August 30 ............. 16,818
August 31.................. Closed
September 1 _........ 343
September 2 _ ...... 42
September 3 16
September 4 ..... 3
Season Ttl. to Date 1,178,618
Closed 196,017 Closed 447.651 406,321 218,465 180.000 627,651 292,094 249,134 Closed 627,651 359,913 173,664 51,500 679,151 472,636 170,851 Closed 679,151 446,988 326,985 Closed 679,151 173,977 218,734 Closed 679,151 Closed 182,786 Closed 679,151 4,335,558 2,612,425 679,151 Note: The above statistics for 1962 only are the best estimates now available and may be changed without notice as discrepancies are found and correction made. The figures are estimates from the records of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission.
Cliff Paull Speaks
Human Freedom' Need Of BCs Native People
The Native Indian people of BC Vancouver Reserve No. 1 to Deeks have still not been granted "human \ McBride Ltd. freedom" and won't be until they receive the guarantee that their
reserve lands will not be seized. That is the viewpoint strongly expressed in an interview with The Fisherman this week by Cliff Paull, brother of the late Andy Paull, widely known BC Indian spokesman.
Cliff Paul, a member of the Squamish band, was one of the leaders in the fight against the attempt by the National Harbors Board last year to turn over a section of the foreshore on North
Victoria MP Maclean Aide
A. D. McPhillips, MP for Victoria, has been named parliamentary secretary to fisheries minister J. Angus MacLean.
The 58 year old lawyer was first elected in 1957 and was one of six BC Conservatives to retain his seat in this year's election.
Commenting on his appointment, the Fisheries Council of Canada bulletin notes that he has "a keen interest in fisheries matters and has sponsored a bill to prevent the erection of power dams on the Fraser River."
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Construction of a cement plant had already started when mass protests by the Natives, including picket lines at the plant site forced a halt to construction.
While the Indian affairs department has so far failed to make a clearcut ruling confirming Indian band rights to the foreshore froni-ing the reserve, there is reason to believe such a declaration may be forthcoming.
It would have considerable si -nificance for other BC coastal bands since it would establish more solidly their claim to foreshore on their reserves.
Paull said the Atlantic Charter, signed in 1941 by Roosevelt and Churchill, provided that "all men in all lands may live out their lives free from want and free from fear" and that no territorial changes woud be made "that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the people concerned."
"As long as the threat to seize our lands remains," he declared, "we cannot call ourselves free."
He said there were "too many loopholes" in the laws that allowed unscrupulous persons to tamper with Indian lands and argued that ancient fishing and hunting rights were not fully respected despite old guarantees that Indians should be allowed to exercise these rights without qualification as long as the fish and meat were used for consumption by the Natives them-seves.
"The day we are awaiting," Paull, a member of the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, said, "is when the threat of land seizure no longer hangs over us. We'll keep fighting until it comes." I"
The gist of Cooke's complaint was that the Johnston Fishing and Packing Company's vessel had been operating since early in July and the crew had not yet received a pay cheque. In addition, they had received no money to pay for grub which they had been charging up at Ferry Meat Market.
They had promised the store a payment on the food bill but had been unable to do so because they had not received any pay from the Company even though the normal pay day was August 8, and it was now August 11. They had been promised that the money would be brought to them by noon Saturday, later set back to possibly around 3 p.m.
The money was not forthcoming however, because Johnston Fishing and Packing Company manager Dick Nesbitt had failed to show up with it.
PHONE CALLS MADE
Both Carl Liden and I made some effort to place phone calls to Nesbitt, and then I phoned George McKay of the Canadian Fishing Company, following up with a call to the home of Roger Hager, president of Canadian Fishing Company.
Prior to this last phone call, I informed Cooke that they should remain where they were on the vessel until they heard further from me and I would do my best to see that somebody from the Company came down and brought them some money. The men said they were quite broke, and in fact, had not enough money for such purchases as cigarettes, let alone the coming week's grub.
They said the captain was not in need of money, but other members of the crew required money for payment of rent and for home expenses. All they had received since early July was a $100 advance.
When I phoned Hager's home, I spoke to his son who said that his father had left on a trip and would not be back for some time. I suggested that if he knew of anyone in the Company who could provide some money for this crew, he should ask them to go down as quickly as possible as the crew was objecting to leaving without getting at least enough money to see them through, with the balance to be paid over to their wives at the beginning of the week.
He asked me if I had tried to get in touch with McKay. I replied that I had done so, bur that there was no answer at
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The August 25 issue of Trade News reported a steadily improving market situation for Canadian fishery products in France with salmon the main beneficiary. 1 The federal department of trade and commerce publication noted, "Most fish products have been liberalised, especially those of interest to Canadian exporters.
"Prospects are best for frozen salmon, groundfish fillets, fresh or frozen lobsters and scallops.
"Sales of Canadian west coast salmon have increased during the last four years by over $150,000 a year and totalled nearly $700,000 in 1961.
"Sales of canned salmon have tended to fluctuate, partly because of price and partly because of a tendency on the part of French importers to over order in one year with high stocks to be moved during the next."
I then phoned Stu Furney of BC Packers, who heads up the tendermen's committee for the operators. He wasn't home, so I left a message with his mother asking if perhaps he could give me a call later at my home.
Somewhat later in the evening I received a call from Furney at my home in Ladner stating that he wanted to know what was going on and I gave him the story on it. He said he would do his best to try and contact Jack Broach of Canadian Fishing Company and see if he could straighten the matter out. '
I also received a call from Don Cox, boat delegate on the Mitchell Bay, inquiring what was going on. I gave him the same information that I had given to the other members of the Union regarding their rights in getting paid and what I had done in respect to contacting Company representatives. NESBITT SAID OK
On Sunday morning, I received a call from Nesbitt who said the matter had been straightened out: he had got in touch with the crew Saturday evening and had given them their money and there was nothing more to be concerned about.
He suggested that he was pre pared to sign the agreements for tendermen and salmon net fishermen and a tentative appointment was made for 10:30 a.m. in the Union office, where he would sign the contracts.
Nothing more was said about the grievance at that time except that he said he had been away to a funeral in the afternoon for Mrs. Baker, wife of Les Baker member of the Albion Local, and for that reason was late in getting through with the money. MONK GETS TOUGH
Not long after receiving the call from Nesbitt, I received another telephone call from Cooke, who stated that Canfisco official Lloyd Monk had appeared at tbe dock between 6:30 and 7 p.m. and had demanded to know if he was Cliff Cooke who was boat delegate on the New Fraser. Without introducing himself or stating who he was, Monk started pointing his finger at Cooke wanting to know whal the fuss was all about. As far as he was concerned, Monk said, he wasn't going to stand for this and the crew could take some days off.
Monk then went over to the edge of the dock and started shouting down at the engineer and the mate, who were busy washing out the hold of the New Fraser, which had been unloaded shortly before. They didn't know him, according to their statements, from anyone else, and he made no attempt to identify himself to those members of the crew. He repeated the same general remarks that they could take days off and not to bother calling the Company—the Company would call them. CHANGING TUNE
I told Cooke to come into the Union office on Monday morning to discuss the matter further. This was done and I got quite a clear picture of what went on and then I phoned Monk.
He first tried to deny he had been angry and had shouted at the crew. Later, he excused himself
for shouting on the grounds that the crew couldn't have heard him from the dock unless he had shouted.
It seemed to me, I told him, that he was trying to get revenge for having been called out on Saturday evening by the son of the Company president. He said there was no thought of this kind in his mind but in any case he was not sure when the boat would be going out again. It would depend how much fish there was up North.
SIMPLE PROBLEM
After some argument, I told him we were not prepared to sign the agreement with Johnston Fishing and Packing Company and if he was looking for further difficulties they could be arranged.
I pointed out that if he knew Nesbitt was coming over with the money, he couiC very easily have told the crew and the boat would have been loaded with ice and would have left for the grounds Saturday night.
He kept demanding to know why it was the crew hadn't asked for money in the morning. I told him that Nesbitt had left word he was going to be over with the money at noon and later there had been some confusion about his possibly arriving there in the early afternoon around 3 o'clock and, therefore the crew had not been concerned about it up to that point.
I then had a long discussion with Nesbitt following which there was a meeting in my office between
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Nesbitt, myself and the members of the crew, at which time Nesbitt signed the agreement. FINALLY SETTLED
I phoned Monk to find out if this was going to happen and gos through to McKay instead. McKay seemed to be confused about what had happened but sided with Monk and would not give a definite commitment whether the boat was going back the following morning. I then said I would not sign the agreements until I knew when the boat was going out. I offered to bring the crew up to McKay's office, but he didn't want to meet them.
I received a call on Tuesday morning from Nesbitt that the boat was going out as planned, which settled the matter.
Albion WA Plans Meet
Now the holidays are over and children are back to school, we'll be getting back into the swing of things. So, how about it, girls?
Our next meeting will be September 10, 8 p.m., at 12775 10th Avenue, Haney.
Here's hoping to see a lot of new faces. To all wives and daughters of fishermen, we send a special invitation to join us in our Auxiliary. For further information, phone, INgersoll 3-6153.
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