The Portland daily press., 1870-02-07
Report of the Fish Commissioners.

The Augusta correspondent of the Boston
Advertiser makes the following abstract of
the annual report of Charles G. Atkins, Fish
Commissioner:
This is an office that has been in existence
over three years, and it is somewhat difficult
to tell with much eyactness what it amounts
TO. S2oOo are annually appropriated, and the
sum has been spent as follows the past wear .
PERSONAL compensation, $742; black bass and
Schoodic salmon, $3.50; travelling and other
expenses, sos. Mr.. Atkins substantialIv
recommends the devoting of all the money
and work authorized by the legislature to the
construction of fishways upon our principal
rivers and the introduction of black bass and
Schoodic salmon. He argues that the obec-
ton by mill-owners and others interested in
water-powers that it was waste of water. is
bug6ear that ought to be forever frightened
| away by the facts.
q Upon the matter of these fshways the
commissioner is enthusiastic to the last de-
gree, and meets the objections of the doubt
ers with great array of facts. In answer to
one who doubts that the migrating fishes will
readily and surely pass up all these barriers.
he puts the following strong case :-"Let one
who doubts, so to Damariscotta in the ale
wife season, or to any high dam near tide
water, in June or July, while the Young cells
lures, score of which would weigh no more
than mans finger, wriggling their wav up
the perpendicular face of a board wall, in the
thinnest possible sheet of water, not thicker
THAN sheet OF paper, up five, ten, twenty
feet." 10 prove the rich results that can be
got from proper outlay upon our great
steams, he instances the salmon fisheries of
the Galway river in Ireland, which rose in
WE'VE WE'VE years from a catch of less than
Z,ooO TO I2,OOO, land this in spite one dam at
the mead OF Underwater, where five-sxths of
Ine water was used by mills and canal S."
Further on he says:
Now compare the Galway with the Penob-
scot and Kennebec. The Galway drains less
than lO00 square miles of territory, the Penob-
scot S2OO square miles, the Kennebec $3.50
square miles. A simple calculation shows
that II these yielded salmon in proportion to
the extent of country drained by them. the
Penobscot should yield 1875, 900, and the Ken
nebec 100000 yearly; while in the same pro-
portion the number of salmon produced for
the market by the whole State, excluding that
portion drained by the st John, would be 500
does not exceed 5000.
fects of fishways on the Penobscot that he
says 100000 could be realized yearly from
salmon fishing upon it, if the fisheries of Scot
land and Ireland may be taken for comnari-
son. He goes into details of the work done
and laid out in different places, and urges
more and better legislation upon the subject.
especially calling attention to the fact that
most OF the present regulations apply only TO
the upper waters, whereas the points along
me sea coast ought to be equally guarded. He
thinks the law of last winter has done much
good: lie says, Son the Kennebec, Andres
coggn and Penobscot, the regulations in re-
gard to fisheries for salmon Slad and aIewivoc
have been enforced as they have probably
never been before. The wardens have been
very efficient. In only one case has there been
neglect of duty. Their authority, too, has
been exercised, in general, so fairly as to give
entire satisfaction to the fishermen" Mr.. At
kins advises against so much legislation
against taking fresh water fishes, and urges
everybody interested in fish culture to con-
slder more the needs of the migratory fishes.
he says that pickerel, at best, are RUTHLESS
destroyers" and of little account, no matter
how plentifully they abound The report is
well considered and will command general at
tention and approval as faithful piece of
work