....        . Bill Procopation photo
• The fish were still running strong, the weather was warmer and the days longer when this picture was taken of Alex Medvedeff, gillnetter 49er, on the floats at Duncanby Landing last month.
From page 1
HERRING PROPOSALS
to all kinds of abuse. One of the most obvious is that companies which already had purchased or ordered gear, skiffs or equipment could supply receipts to fishermen of their choice."
The meeting called for elimination of the August 21 deadline, holding that all fishermen who wanted to apply for licences to fish herring up to October 26 should be considered. The list of all applicants, it said, should be made availabe to the union and other interested organizations, making it possible for fishermen to hold meetings and consider all the alternatives. And no final decisions should be made on any form of limitation program before December 1.
These views were conveyed by union representatives to a herring management advisory committee meeting September 14, at which it was obvious that none of the fishermen's organizations favored the limitation of herrring licences as announced.
It was disclosed that the response to an earlier inquiry made by the Fisheries Service on the general issue of limitation showed that none of the industry organizations favored limitation.
The August 21 press release stated that environment minister Jack Davis "had in mind a fleet size that the department would not want to exceed. If applications exceed this number, a system would be set up to allocate licences."
At the September 14 meeting Fisheries reported that a fleet size of 150 seines and 450 gillnets was the maximim that it considered could be allowed. Union representatives replied that since this was the first time the fleet figure had been given, they were not able to offer an opinion.
"My position on the advisory committee is not and cannot be independent of the decisions of our membership, " Stevens told The Fisherman.
"At present, I have no way of knowing exactly how many fishermen want to enter the herring roe operation. It jumped from a $12 million to a $34 million industry in one year. There are indications it could become a $100 million a year industry.
"The question arises of whether it should become the private preserve of a percentage of the fishermen, of a group who would be an elite section with access to all other sections of the industry. At the same time, other fishermen who are trying to earn a livelihood from salmon, halibut, groundfish or shellfish, would be denied the same opportunity in the herring fishery.
"From the way it is being discussed it appears as though licensed seine boats and licensed gillnet skiffs would acquire an additional value, which could be bought and sold. In other words, the right to fish herring becomes a marketable value.
"The department wants to proceed as quickly as possible to make final decisions. This in my opinion is a serious matter — one with long term repercussions. It should not be rushed into without ample opportunity for all fishermen to meet and consider all possible alternatives.
"It's possible that the majority
would favor no limitations on entry. This would mean severe restrictions on fishing times. Or there may be a way of rotating the opportunity among bonafide commercial fishermen. Suggestions of a lottery to draw the names of those who will be allowed to participate have been made. But, as yet, no one can pretend that any specific plan, acceptable to the majority, has been devised.
"Springing new proposals on the fishermen at the peak of the salmon season is wrong. I'd sooner see the whole concept scrapped and start over with adequate consultation. Certainly, the union committee's suggestion that no final plans be made until December 1 is not unreasonable."
Other points in the guidelines discussed at length by the September 7 meeting included the proposed 50,000-ton quota for roe herring in all areas outside the Gulf of Georgia, which was strongly opposed. Instead, the meeting favored establishment of quotas, area by area, based on spawning records, catch experience and sound conservation principles.
The meeting agreed with the proposed special food and bait quota of 5,000 tons for the Gulf of Georgia, pointing out, however, that if markets should be opened up for more than 5,000 tons, then food and bait quotas should be set for all other areas on the coast.
"We believe the department's scientific staff are capable of setting safe quotas for a fall and winter food and bait operation in all areas," Stevens said. "These quotas, if utilized, could require adjustments in the roe quota system."
In taking a stand on dogfish proposals, the meeting called for early action by the department to utilize the $500,000 set aside in the spring. It opposed allocation of roe herring quotas based on dogfish to any company or individual, noting that utilization of dogfish was very poor last season Since the department has indicated it will not proceed with the dogfish-herring quota allocation by companies, the meeting called for raising the dogfish payment to $100 per ton. This it said, would also make it possible for fishermen to fish economically for dogfish with a relatively small payment being made by processing companies.
Maintaining that the most inportant requirement is for an early start, the meeting urged the department to revise the program so it can get under way as soon as the salmon season ends in most areas.
The meeting endorsed the suggestion that herring licenses be issued to owner-operators on the basis of one licence to each owner-operator. It asked, however, for a clear definition of "owner-operator," contending that only bonafide fishermen should be licensed.
The proposal for restriction of one gillnet per herring gillnet unit was endorsed as a means of preventing development of mother-ship  type operations.
But the propoasl for a maximum limit of 150 fathoms per gillnet met strong opposition. Regulations in  1972 and 1973
allowed a total of 200 fathoms, generally in 33 fathom shackles. The meeting held that regulations should remain as they were, except that the mesh size should be 2V4-inch extension measure.
Strong opposition to proposed higher licence fees, of $1,000 for packers up to 30 registered tons and $100 a ton for each additional ton, also was voiced by the meeting. The feeling was that this discriminated against fishermen in operations, such as the smaller seine and gillnet operations where packers are essential.
At the September 14 meeting, the department indicated it already had revised its position, suggesting instead a licence of $10 per registered ton for packers.
Again, union representatives protested this as an unnecessary additional tax, which still discriminated against smaller operations, as compared to larger fishing units which could operate without packers.
The $50 per ton catching fee similarly was opposed as being unfair, additional taxation.
"The principle of taxation should always include graduated taxes based on the ability to pay," Stevens pointed out. "If the department can make a case for a larger tax, then a graduated tax on the profits of the processing firms should be introduced.
"This $50 per ton tax is directed solely against the fishermen, who are already paying income tax on a graduated basis. It is absolutely wrong to burden them with double taxation."
On seasonal regulations, the September 7 meeting called for opening times of 1400 hours, on the grounds that this is the regular starting time under union contracts for each fishing week. It also asked that the minimum of 48-hour weekend closures from 2 p.m. Friday to 2 p.m. Sunday should be regulated by law.
In another proposal, the meeting asked the department to work out plans for catch division on herring to ensure proper sharing between seine and gillnet fleets. The basic principles, it said, should be worked out after a study of the number of vessels and men to be involved in the 1974 operation.
The August 30 press release promised that "in the allocation of new licences, special consideration will be given to Indians," and the department reported to the September 14 meeting there would be no restrictions in 1974 or issuance of new licences to status Indians , no restrictions on entry of Native Indians owning seine boats or gillnet skiffs as the "things" through which licences are obtained.
The September 7 meeting, in discussing the processing regulations, noted the absence of any measures designed to promote use of herring carcasses for human consumption, after the roe is extracted, such as has been done in a very United was in this contry and extensively in Japan.
Acting on this, union representatives at the September 14 meeting urged the department to move toward full use of herring, rather than allowing reduction of all carcasses to be continued indefinitely.
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8/THE FISHERMAN — SEPTEMBER 21, 1973