TheTiJherm&n
Representing The Organized Fishermen And Shoreworkers of British Columbia
Annual Meet Called By Marine Insurance
Fifth Annua] General Meeting of the Pacific Coast Fishermen's Marine Mutual Insurance Company Limited will be held on Friday, February 24, at the Fishermen's Hall, 1 38 East Cordova St., Vancouver. All members should attend this meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. _
VOL. XII.
No. 7
(485)
VANCOUVER, B.C., TUESDAY,  FEBRUARY 21, 1950
Price Five Cents
Iced Up
It sure loo!(s cold seeing this picture of the great B.C. freeze-up, even though it is now in its dying stages. These pictures are scenes at the Celtic Slough on the Fraser River, ta/fcn by UFAWU member Tom Hansen late last month. In the one-column photo along-, side is Tom's own little vessel, the "Da Da Da Daa", up on the ways. Broken ice can be seen in the slough in front of the ways. In the photo directly below are gillneliers and trollers comfortably iced in at the Celtic Slough. The scene lool(s peaceful but it means many a tough moment for the owners before the vessels are freed.
£ Owner Philip Barnel lool(s out over the sea of snow1 and ice from the decf( of his gill-netler, the "May B". The boat is firmly and snugly fixed in the thicl( ice of the Celtic Slough.
Seine-Gillnet Fishing
Resolution Would Make 'Gentlemen's Agreement' Part Of Regulations
A policy resolution on mixed seine-gillnet fishing adopted by the UFAWU Standing Committee on Fishery Regulations has been forwarded to all union locals for discussion prior to the annual convention next month. The resolution will the submitted to the convention for "approval or amendment," and it will then go to the Department of Fisheries.
Sloan Boundary Maintenance Or 50-50 Catch Division Asked
Fraser River District Council delegates at their meeting Friday, February 17, laid down a policy regarding the Fraser River salmon fishery for 1950 and future years.
Contained in the resolution adopted by the meeting are these points:
1. The council requests from the authorities strict observance in 1950 and future years of the boundaries established for Area 17 by the Sloan Commission.
2 The council remains prepared
Gulf Council Meets Thursday
Meeting of the UFAWU Gulf Council opens this Thursday in Vancouver.
On the agenda, in addition to election of officers, will be discussion of resolutions for presentation to the March convention of the union.
to drop the above demand, provided that:
(a) The Department of Fisheries decides to regulate the salmon fishery in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and the Gulf of Georgia so that there will be an equal division of the catch between the gillnet and seine fleets based on the number of fishermen operating the two types of gear in the above areas and in the Fraser River.
(b) The operators as a group agree to give full support to this program.
3. In the meantime the Council recommends to the affiliated locals to support measures aimed at strict adherence to the Sloan Boundaries.
The resolution was adopted with delegates present representing New Westminster, Albion, Fort Langley, Port Mann, Sunbury, Ladner, Steveston, and Vancouver locals.
It was endorsed by the Coun-1 cil only after a full discussion on j the petition now being circulated in
Rupert Co-op Members
Meeting In Vancouver
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25
10 A.M.
FISHERMEN'S HALL
138 E. Cordova St., Vancouver
Secretary and Directors of Prince Rupert Fishermen's Co-op Association will be present. This is a meeting for all Rupert Co-op members in the Vancouver area — please attend it.
the Fraser Valley calling for adherence to the Sloan boundaries and a complete review of past Union policy of attempting to regulate the catch against opposition from the salmon canners and the Federal Department of Fisheries.
Delegates were unanimously of the opinion that while a division of the catch was preferable to restrictions on areas, it was not possible to maintain a policy on catch division without full cooperation from the operators and the fisheries department.
In view of the blackout on catch statistics last year, delegates felt it was now up to the operators and department to state their intentions. Otherwise, the campaign to maintain the Sloan Boundaries would have to be pressed to the fullest.
Whonnock Fishermen Meet Friday, March 3
All fishermen in the Whonnock area are urged to turn out to a meeting called for Friday, March 3 to form a local of the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union.
The meeting will take place at two o'clock in the Memorial Hall at Whonnock. Friday, March 3 is the date which all UFAWU members in the area should keep open.
As it now stands, the resolution proposes in its resolved < sections, that "we adopt the principle presently contained in the 'gentlemen's agreement' governing mixed seine and gillnet fishing in Johnstone Straits, namely, that seine fishing only be carried on during the daylight hours or from sunrise to sunset and that gillnet fishing only be carried on during the hours of darkness or from sunset to sunrise."
i In addition, the resolution proposes that the Department of Fisheries "be strongly urged by the Union to implement the above proposal by including it in the fishery regulations."
Basis for the policy adopted is set out in the earlier paragraphs of the resolution which point out that "It is a well known fact that in recent years, with larger and better gillnet boats in operation, there has been a tremendous increase of mixed gillnet and seine operations in numerous salmon areas over the whole length of the coast." This increase in mixed fishing, the resolution states, has resulted in considerable bitterness and hard-feeling between the fishermen operating these two types of gear which is harmful to good relationships within the Union and works against cooperation on other important issues which affect gill netters and seiners alike.
Continuing, the resolution in its preamble, states that the total increase in the numbers of seine and gillnet licenses has made necessary longer weekly closures and more restrictions of all kinds in order to conserve the salmon runs.
"Since many areas are presently closed to seining," it is pointed out, "demand is developing among some seiners that certain areas should be closed to gillnetters and maintained as seine areas only."
Moreover, the Union has received information that the Department of Fisheries has been asked by certain major cannery operators to prohibit gillnetters from fishing in certain seine areas.
Referring to these claims, the Union resolution declares that "Division of areas where mixed fishing is now proceeding into separate seine and gillnet areas will be discriminatory to fishermen using one type of gear and will only increase the friction between fishermen."
The operators' memorandum, which is referred to, in addition to being opposed by the UFAWU, is also "strongly opposed" by Colonial Packers Ltd., and Johnston Fishing and Packing Co., Ltd.
Operators propose, with the two exceptions noted, as follows: AREA 12
Seine fishing only in that portion of Johnstone Straits proper, from a line drawn from Cracroft Point to the Vancouver Island shore, down Johnstone Straits to the easterly limit of Area 12. Existing regulations re seine and gillnet fishing for balance of Area 12. AREA 13
Seine fishing only in that portion
See
GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT
—page 5
At Annual Meet
Kyuquot Co-op Members Favor Amalgamation Plan
By GEORGE GREENWELL Assistant Manager, Kyuquot Trollers'
Co-op
Kyuquot Trollers Cooperative Association at its twentieth annual meeting held at Bamfield January 27 and 28, voted by a 77 percent majority to amalgamate with the United Fishermen's Cooperative Association and the Sointula Fishermen's Cooperative Association.
Halibut Fishermen's Meet Set for March 2
The meeting of halibut fishermen originally scheduled for this coming Thursday has been postponed to Thursday, March 2, at two o'clock in Fishermen's Hall.
Reason for the change of date is the meeting of the United Fishermen's Cooperative Association taking place in the hall up to and including this Thursday.
Instiuctions to the Board of Directors was to complete the amalgamation by April 30, 1950, if one or both of the two other associations decide at their annual meetings to amalgamate.
The vote, which was conducted by a secret ballot of members present at meetings held at Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Winter Harbor, Xyuquot, Tofino and Ucluelet prior to the Bamfield meeting, had shown 102 in favor of the extraordinary resolution proposing amalgamation, and 30 opposed. A previous referendum mailed to all members, had indicated 379 favoring amalgamation and 119 opposed.
Production for the 1949 season of 5,925,075 pounds represented an increase over the previous year of 1,019,556 pounds. However, a decline in production of close to 800,-000 pounds in large red spring sal-
mon meant a drop in the landed value of the fish to fishermen as compared wi,th the previous year.
Disturbed over the apparent decline in coho production in the past several years, the Association passed a resolution recommending the closure of offshore coho fishing until June 15, in line with the regulations in effect in Washington, Oregon and California.
The department of Fisheries was called upon to further its tagging and research efforts on coho and spring salmon in offshore waters to determine more than is presently known of the habits and movements of these species.
General store and fishing operations conducted by the associations for the twelve month period, ran over 1% million dollars in total business.
MEETINGS
Vancouver Fishermen's Local
THURSDAY, MARCH 2
7.30 P.M.
FISHERMEN'S HALL
• ELECT CONVENTION DELEGATES
• CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS
Hew Westminster Local
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26
2 P.M.
CANADIAN LEGION HALL
(Begbie Street Entrance)
• ELECT CONVENTION DELEGATES
• DISCUSS AREA 17
Sudbury Local
SUNDAY, MARCH 5
Port Langley Local
SUNDAY, MARCH 12
2.30 P.M.
FORT LANGLEY HALL
Herring Season Almost Over
British Columbia's herring season is almost over now. Some fishing is still under way around Butler's Cove in the Northern District and in Meyer's Pass in the Central District, but reports from those grounds indicate that it will not be very long now before the whole fleet heads for town. One company has already withdrawn all its boats.
Fishing was good in both places at the opening this week, around 1,000 tons being taken in the Edye
Pass area leaving only some 2,000 tons to go in the northern district. Monday morning, however, the fish seemed to have disappeared and if they don't show up again soon there won't be anyone there to meet them when they do come.
Fishing has been good in the central sub-district too; 1,000 tons were taken at the start of the week in Meyers' Pass which means that somewhere between three and four thpusand are still left on the quota.
Herring seiners have not touched
the west coast since the big freeze and the only activity in that area now is the odd dragger and long liner scratching for cod.
This week will probably see a general close down on all herring operations on the coast. It has been a very good season although the weather has been tough and made things difficult. Reports coming in this morning (Monday) say that it has started snowing heavily along the northern B.C. coast.