Incident recalled by death
PRINCE RUPERT — A UFAWU member since 1965 but with a history in the B.C. and inland freshwater fisheries going back many years, Archie Arthur Plante died in Prince Rupert Regional Hospital on August 5 after a long illness. He was 63.
His career on this coast started in the halibut fishery, and it was while he was skipper of the long-liner Masset Maid that he found himself at the centre of what almost became an international incident.
The vessel's boarding and attempted arrest by the Alaska fish and game department for alleged operations inside U.S. waters in August, 1971 provoked an angry letter to the Fisheries Service by Plante claiming it was "a terrible situation when a foreign country can harass Canadian fishermen in Canadian waters and steal their gear."
Fishing in the vicinity of Nunez Rock, the Masset Maid was boarded by Alaskan authorities and ordered to proceed to Ketchikan. Instead, Plante steamed straight back to Prince Rupert with an Alaskan fish and game officer still aboard.
Returning to Nunez Rock two days later, Plante found that the Americans had picked up 10 skates of gear the vessel had had in the water near the Rock and 11 skates to the south.
Stoutly maintaining he had never strayed out of Canadian waters, Plante later put in a $12,000 claim to the Fisheries Service for lost time and gear, but recovered only a portion of it.
A spokesman for William Egan, then governor of Alaska said state authorities had "no desire to make an international incident out of this business" and promised that Plante, supported in his claim by the UFAWU, would get back $3,000 worth of confiscated gear.
Plante also had fished halibut for years on the Clipper 2, as well as seining aboard the Western Sun and Finella.
Before moving to Prince Rupert, Plante resided in Faust, Alta., fishing for many years on Lesser Slave Lake in the northern part of that province and on Great Slave Lake, NWT.
He is survived by his wife Irene; sons Eddie, Charlie and Michael; daughters Linda, Judy and Joanie; a brother, Edward; two sisters, Mabel and Madeline; and five grandchildren.
figures prove point
MARINE TRANSMISSIONS
A Single Source of Supply for Everything between the Engine and the Propeller for
• FISHING VESSELS
• WORK BOATS
• PLEASURE CRAFT
The Widest Range of Transmissions A Accessories on the Pacific Coast
\|* »1IM( TIANIMIltlOM IMCIAUSTI
NOR WEST GEAR
5085 Regent Street, Bumaby, British Columbia V5C 4H5 (604) 291-9451/Telex 043-54566
VOLVO PENTA DEALER
4-month term deposits
MINIMUM DEPOSIT
$25,000
NON-WITHDRAWABLE
m%
GULF and FRASER FISHERMEN'S CREDIT UNION
803 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6A1R8 Telephone 254-6266
Catch division need underlined
The need for implementation of catch division proposals as advanced by the UFAWU is borne out by the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission's 1976 annual report.
Last year 107 seiners fished late sockeye stocks milling in Areas 17 and 18 and caught 104,212, mainly in early September, whereas only one seiner had operated there in 1972, and the total season's catch was only 1,570.
Because of the larger than anticipated catch last year, very little additional fishing was permitted in the Fraser River fishery in view of Weaver Creek escapement requirements, the commission says, and closure of Areas 17 and 18 were necessary to prevent further exploitation of the delaying stocks.
Possibly the largest run on the cycle since 1900, last year's returns are estimated at 4,337,000 as against a pre-season forecast of 37 million.
Total convention waters catch of sockeye was 495,113 above the brood year, the total Fraser River sockeye run being 629,000 larger.
The total catch was the largest on the cycle since 1912 and the Canadian share of 1,382,484 (51
percent) was the largest on cycle since 1936.
Estimated catches of Fraser River sockeye in non-convention waters in Johnstone Strait and northern Georgia Strait, and coastal waters north of convention waters, were 491,000 and 102,000 respectively.
Non-convention waters catch of Fraser sockeye migrating through Johnstone Strait was 11.3 percent of the total run, compared with 14.3 percent in 1972, the preceding cycle year.
In Canadian convention waters, 713,568 sockeye were taken in waters west of Williams Head while 668,916 were caught east of there, mainly in or near the- Fraser River.
Total catch in the western area was the largest recorded for the cycle year, while the 49.6 percent of the total catch taken in the Area 20 fishery was the highest yet recorded for the cycle.
Canadian seiners claimed 605,101 sockeye, 43.8 percent of the total catch. It was the highest percentage recorded on the cycle, while the 53.6 percent taken by gillnetters, 741,049 fish, was the lowest ever for the cycle.
In 1976, for the first time in the commission's experience, a major portion of the Chilko
sockeye run migrated up the west side of San Juan Island.
There was concern as to whether or not the fish were migrating continuously on through to the Fraser River, and it was determined from tagging at Lummi Island that some Chilko sockeye delayed off the mouth of the Fraser for up to three weeks before passing upstream.
Total Chilko run in 1976 is estimated at two million compared to a predicted return of 1.6 million. Actual returns would have been even greater but for the reduction by about 10 million migrants of the total smolt migration in l'974. This was the result of a large loss of fry during the previous spring due to viral infection.
Several other races enjoyed excellent returns in 1976, the commission says. The Birkenhead River and Gates Creek returns were the largest oh record, while returns to Pitt River, Fennell Creek, Seymour River, Weaver Creek and Stell-ako River populations were the largest ever on cycle.
Net escapement of 827,250 sockeye represented 22.1 percent of the 1976 Fraser run to convention waters and 19.1 percent
of the calculated total Fraser River run.
Total escapement to the spawning grounds was near the pre-season goal of 900,000.
Success of spawning was excellent in all areas, the commission reports. At Gates Creek there is usually only 65 to 70 percent success on this cycle, but 84.6 percent of all females spawned successfully in 1976.
The commission expresses concern in its report over increased catches by the Indian subsistence fishery. The catch of 228,798 sockeye last year was the largest ever on the cycle and the second largest of any year to date. It contrasted with a catch of only 134,268 in 1972.
The commission confesses its failure to date in efforts to establish a hybrid stock of sockeye in the lower Horsefly River using a cross of Stellako eggs and Horsefly jack males.
No sockeye spawned on the lower Horsefly spawning grounds in 1976 and there was no significant increase in spawners on the upper spawning grounds.
In contrast, the 1974 transplant of Seymour River eggs to the Upper Adams River looks promising, the commission reports.
Quiet
Dependable
Auxiliary Power
MARINE DIVISION Sat CHRYSLER
CORPORATION
ft mi«
^ibaiSSalr^
For Hydraulics
Drive Systems, Compressors, Brine Pumps and Electric Generators (1 phase, 3 phase, any voltage).
We have a complete selection to suit your auxiliary needs from 6 h.p. to 300 h.p. both air cooled and fresh water cooled by heat exchanger or arranged for keel cooling.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER LISTED BELOW:
ALBERNI ENGINEERING Port Alberni
ALERT BAY SHIPYARDS Alert Bay
CREST MARINE Alaska Way, Delta
DAVE'S SPORT & MARINE Prince Rupert
ERIK LARSEN DIESEL Ucluelet
HARBOUR MACHINE LTD. Erie Street, Victoria
PENDER HARBOUR DIESEL Garden Bay
MADEIRA MARINE Madeira
GOBLE ENGINE REPAIR Vancouver
PAUL DRAKE LTD. Gibsons
REDWOOD MARINE Campbell River
RIVERVIEW MOTORS #2 Road, Richmond
FOSTER MARINE LTD. Surrey
SHEARWATER MARINE Richmond
WES-DEL MARINA River Road W., Delta
SEA LAND ENGINES Vancouver
DIAMOND STORE . Ladysmith
STEPHEN DIESEL Port Hardy
Distributor: SIMPSON POWER PRODUCTS
5271 Regent Street Bumaby, B.C. 291-9941
12/ THE FISHERMAN —
SEPTEMBER 9, 1977