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Representing the Organised Fishermen and Shoreworkers of British Columbia
VOLUME XXI, No. 28
VANCOUVER, B.C. AUGUST 14, 1959
Victoria's Successful Salmon Sale
CUADEWnDI^PPC From left to right, Victoria shoreworkers Pauline Irwin, Eunice jn\Jl\C W \J Ixlxt l\J Lingren, Lon Colley, Ethel Carrington, and Local president John Irwin at scales pause for four minute break while loaded Pacific King is moved alongside scales.
HERE THEY COME
Customers by the score came to Victoria's salmon sale conducted by the Victoria Local in cooperation with other fishermen and locals in second week of the strike. Here the crowd queues as sellers get ready for the onslaught which kept them on the move for four hours without a coffee break. Jack Reid, Sidney Local secretary, who took these "operation strike relief" pictures, reports that 1,000 fish were sold in the first few hours. Milton McEachern's Miss Cyndie, in the background, brought in 1,000 sockeye from the San Juan area.
Shore, Tender Crews Commend Trollers Who Stayed in Port
Organised shoreworkers and tendermen have expressed their appreciation to the main body of the salmon troll fleet and other sections of the fishing fleet for their display of solidarity during the July 29 to August 7 strike which tied up the entire BC fishing industry.
The salmon troll fleet, largely #----;-;-J ~T~" T
unorganised,   remained   in   port | ing has been heard trom the
during the strike with only a small vessel since that time, number of exceptions. The fisher-     m,    ......      '      ... „
men who honored the strike have | The White V, another trailer repassed along reports of trollers j Ported on the grounds during the who operated or took on ice dur- strike, came into Port Alberm ing the tie-up. \ August 10 and tied up but observ-
In   meetings   held   during   the j ^ r?port she strike,  shoreworkers  and tender-
had   no salmon
men made clear their dissatisfaction with the action of the few trollers which had gone out fishing as well as those who had taken on ice.
SHOW APPRECIATION
Shoreworkers and tendermen felt they could show their appreciation to those who supported their strike by having as little as pos-ible to do with the handful of rollers who have given a black ■ye to the rest of the fleet.
The shore and packer crews indicated they would be very reluc-ant to handle products from vessels which fished during the strike -.nd would not look kindly on giv-ng these vessels any service.
On the other hand, they felt that those who stood by the strike by remaining in port should receive the full cooperation and commendation   of the  shore  and packer
itWS.
Names of vessels fishing during he strike have been supplied by ashermen and shoreworkers at ,'arious points on the coast.
FATIMA' MAKES DONATION
One of the vessels, the Fatima, came into Prince Rupert, contacted the Union and disposed of her trip to charity.
The Svalbard I was reported in Port Alberni Aug. 8, but she left the following morning, Sunday, August 9 for points unknown after trying unsuccessfully to deliver her fish. Noth-
Big Whale Catch Seen
One of the biggest' whaling seasons on record is in. store for British Columbia with 612 legal size whales being taken by the end of July. In addition, 21 short whales were reported during that period.
The 1958 whale catch set a record with 745 legal size whales for the full season plus an additional 29 shorts.
But during the first four months, the kill of legal whales totalled only 490 with an additional 24 shorts.
Thus the figures show that for the first four months this year, the catch is 122 whales more than it was last season.
August is traditionally a big month in the whaling operation, last year far and away the biggest with a gross 203 and a net 198 whales taken during that period.
In 1957, out of an annual catch of 614 whales, 117 were taken in August, only eight less than in July, the biggest month that year.
The catch so far in 1959 is made up of seven blues, 240 finbacks, 15 humpbacks, 185 sei, and 165 sperms.
The presence of blue water close to shore is generally believed to account for the strong showing oi the big mammals, caught by the six whaling boats of BC Packers' fleet and processed at the Company's Coal Harbor plant.
The Sleipner is the latest case, arriving in Vancouver Tuesday afternoon (August 11) and unloading at BC Ice arid Cold Storage. Part of her trip wafts unloaded before shoreworkers realised fish was caught during the strike. Bernard Koines, owner of the Sleipner, said he had taken ice at Vancouver Ice and Cold Storage July 25 and then laid six days in Na-naimo. From there, he went to Bull Harbor and claimed a camp-man had told him he would not get ice or be able to unload there but could probably deliver in Vancouver. Koines claimed someone named "Peter" at Seafood Products had said they would take his fish.
PART TO CHARITY
He offered to donate 1,000 pounds to charity, then 1,500 pounds, then half the load on grounds that some fish was caught on August 9, after the strike was over. Union representatives suggested he could only re-establish good relations with his fellow fishermen and workers in the industry by donating the whole load to charity because no one could sep-
THE FISHERMEN
Left to right are Axel Ostrom, president of Sidney Local; Chris Lund, skipper of Pacific King who brought 2,000 sockeye from Fraser River to Victoria, also from Sidney Local. Background boat is owned by Milton McEachern (sitting on drum) who brought 1,000 sockeye from west coast for strike fund sale at Fishermen's Wharf at Victoria.
Sockeye Run Shows Well
Although this has always been considered a poor cycle year, sockeye are snowing up well in Juan de Fuca Strait and the Fraser River, according to the fisheries department and the International Pacific Salmon Commission, which is predicting a maximum sockeye catch of 1,500,000 each for the Canadian and American fleets.
Figures compiled by the Commission show that Canadian fishermen's share of the Fraser River sockeye runs was 220,000 on Monday and 150,000 on Tuesday this week for a total of 370,000 over the two days.
American fishermen caught 90,-000 sockeye on Monday and 120,000 on Tuesday, bringing their total since sockeye fishing opened to around 1,000,000 fish.
In Juan de Fuca Strait, sockeye fishing is generally reported to be good, but pink fishing is poor. The reverse is the case on the Skeena, where the sockeye run is falling off although pinks are coming in fair!y well.
In lower Johnstone Strait on August 11, 33 seine deliveries averaged 231 sockeye, nine coho, 361 pinks, two chums and two springs. On the same day, 19 gillnetters in the area averaged seven sockeye and 17 pinks. There were only 12 coho in the 19 deliveries.
arate fish caught from August 2-8 from those caught August 9.
Koines returned to BC Ice, reloaded the salmon on the Sleipner, made an unsuccessful attempt to unload at Vancouver Ice and Cold Storage and left, saying he was bound for Neah Bay. The Teamsters' Union represents workers at Vancouver Ice. FISH UNLOADED
As The Fisherman went to press, the Victoria Local reported the Sleipner had unloaded her fish at BC Packers' Ogden Point plant. The workers checked to find out about the load and upon hearing what had happened in Vancouver and when the fish was caught, refused to process it. BC Packers spokesman, E. -L. Harrison phoned the Union Hall and queried the Union secretary on what "instructions" were issued. The secretary pointed out no "instructions" had been issued to anyone.
Union members simply don't like processing fish caught during strikes or helping strikebreakers. Harrison said his company had no dispute with trollers. Stevens asked him to check with the majority of trollers how they felt about the few who broke ranks. Harrison said he had no intention of doing so.
Last minute reports indicated Ken Fraser and the manager at Ogden Point were still trying to persuade Union shoreworkers to change their minds.
Trollers Reported Fishing During Strike
Svalbard I Geraldine J Nippentuck Narvik Shaula Genii White V Pacific Pride
Joe Tapley Allan Johnson Jack Homer Sig Sekkemo
Tingley Bros., Fred Homer Gunnar Hansen
Norzone Storm 3 Sleipner Fatima
NOTE: The "Fatima" donated her load to charity.
Victoria
Victoria - Sooke
Victoria
Victoria
Victoria
Vancouver
Prince Rupert
Added 48 Hours
Skimpy Pink Run Forces New Closure
An additional 48 hour closure has been ordered for next week in all US convention waters and in Canadian convention waters west of Williams Head (Juan de Fuca Strait) to protect pink salmon runs.
The International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission this week advised all fishing gear in United States waters and Canadian gear in Juan de Fuca Strait "to be alerted Tuesday morning, August 18, for a further announcement regarding fishing regulations effective from that date."
Unless changed upon reconsideration Tuesday morning, August 18, Canadian gillnets in Juan de Fuca Strait and American gillnets n US waters will fish Sunday and Monday nights, August 16 and 17.
Purse seines and reef nets (the latter in US waters only) will fish Monday and Tuesday, August 17 and 18.
Regulations permitting three day fishing in Areas 17 and 18 and District 1 of Canadian convention waters will not be changed.
Commission chairman Tom Reid reported Tuesday that Fraser River cockeye runs "are fulfilling the most optimistic pre-season esti-mates for a good sea survival. Normally the runs in this cycle year have always been poor even before he Hell's Gate slide."
Senator Reid added that catches in all convention waters were "excellent" with the Canadian fleet on August 10 harvesting an estimated 200,000 sockeye.
The United States fleet on the same day hauled in about 90,000 sockeye, bringing the total for the
season to 880,000 fish as of that date.
In view of large escapements of sockeye so far this season, Senator Reid said, the Commission permitted an extra day's fishing for the current week in all Canadian and United States convention waters.
FISH PRICES
SEATTLE
WEDNESDAY, AOGUST 12 SPRINGS
Large red ......_______ lb. 60c
Medium red _____________________ lb. 46c
Small red _________________............ lb. 33c
All whites ....._.. No whites listed
Coho lb. 34c
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12 HALIBUT
Chix _________________............. No chix
Medium lb. 22.5c
Large ___________i.....________........_ lb. 23c
VANCOUVER
WEEK ENDING AUGUST 8
SPRINGS Large red lb. 58c
Medium red ______________ lb. 42c
Small red     1. lb. 32c
Large white lb. 42c
Small white lb. 25c
Coho lb. 39c
MONDAY, AUGUST 10
HALIBUT
Chix ___________________ lb. 12c
Medium ________________________ lb. 21.5c
Large _......_____________________ lb. 21.7c
Gil I net Fleet Meets Over San Juan Ruling
Gillnet fishermen are proposing to hold a meeting at San Juan this coming Monday, August 17, to discuss a fisheries regulation which requires them to have their nets in their boats by 5:30 a.m., The Fisherman was advised this week.
The gillnetters maintain that this deadline causes them to lose too much fishing time because either they have no chance l.o clean their nets out or they must start too early in the morning.
Officials of the fisheries department at Nanaimo informed The Fisherman that the regulation had been in effect for at least the past two years and had been established in consultation with both gillnetters and seiners.
Five gillnetters, they said, were being charged with fishing past the 5:30 a.m. deadline.