Northwest History. International Diplomacy & Politics. United States (U.S.A.)

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1937
• Subjects: Interaction between Japanese and American fishermen on the Pacific; Capt. J.E. Shields; Pacific Coast Coddish Company; Alleged rude behavior by the Japanese fishermen towards the American fishermen; Northwest; Pacific > History > 20th Century; United States > International Diplomacy & Politics > 20th Century; Bering Sea; Pacific
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/85322

SEA 'INVADERS' HELD ARROGANT SEA INVADERS' HELD ARROGANT (The intereference of Japanese crab fishermen with operations of American cod fishermen is described by a Seattle sea captain in this, the tenth of a series of articles being published in The Times, outlining invasion of Japanese in Alaskan waters.) Japanese crab fishermen do not hesitate to get in the way of workers on American vessels, according to Capt. J. E. Shields, and their interference is arrogant. Captain Shields is president and manager of the Pacific Coast Codfish Company, Seattle's only codfish concern, and master and owner of the sailing vessel Sophie Christenson, tied up this season for the first time in ten years because a trip to the Bering Sea would be "unprofitable because of Japanese invasion." Experience Related This actual experience of Captain Shields occurred May 8, 1935, in the Bering Sea: "We were lying at anchor when, four Japanese crab net layers came up and set two circles of nets, entirely surrounding us," said Captain Shields. "We were outside the three-mile limit. Codfish inside three miles from shore, of course, are so small they're not worth catching. The Japanese nets made our fishing almost impossible, as our dories must drift with the tide. "A storm came up. We dragged the ships' anchors, and fouled these nets. As a result we could not lift our anchors until the storm subsided. These nets are set all over the Bering Sea. There are no lights to mark them at night. They endanger life at sea." Protest Filed Captain Shields said he protested to the Bering Sea Patrol but received no answer. "These crab fishermen have the entire Bering Sea to fish in," Captain Shields said,, "yet they persistently come and set their nets right alongside of us." It is possible for Japanese floating crab canneries to spread nets over 1,000 square miles of the ocean bottom without any difficulty. "The Japanese canneries carry 10,000 nets. It's no trick for them to cover 1,000 square miles of the ocean bottom—that's only 100 miles long and ten miles wide," said the captain. "They string nets along for five miles, move over a half mile and string another five-mile set of nets. You can see what chance a crab has of living." Cod Bank Stripped A ten-year Japanese crab fishing activity has stripped the rich cod bank of the Bering Sea off the Alaskan coast from Unimak Pass to Amak Island because, the captain says, it has stripped the bank of crabs, chief food for cod. Abandoning his trip north this year, Captain Shields said: "Why should I go up there and monkey with those Japanese fellows? I don't want to be like the man who tries to arrest a motorist for speeding, instead of waiting for a policeman to do it. He always gets himself in trouble. If the authorities won't do anything about it, neither will I." (Another article in this series will appear soon in The Times, telling of a clash between Japanese officials and Captain Shields.)