Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-04
THE DAILY REC0RD-UNI0N.
FISH FARMING.
Report of the Commissioners of Fish
cries of the State of California.

The State Fish Commissioners report for
the years 1873 and 1879 is an interesting docu-
ment. From the volume we make synopsis
of salient points. Since the organization OF
the Commission it has Matched and turned
into the Sacramento river 13, 10000 young
salmon, which, added to the natural supply,
has made the fish as numerous in the river in
season as at any time since so large an area of
their spawning beds was destroyed by the
operations of mining. If the canning estab-
lishments are to increase, there must be placed
at least :, 800, 600 young salmon in the river
annually, and to do this there must be an in
creased appropriation, or else an abandon
ment of all efforts at adding to the other
good fish of the State and devotement of
all the appropriation to the propagation of
salmon.
ENFORCING THE LAW.
The Commissioners say: eff there could
be faithful observance of the law that pro-
hlblts'the catching of salmon during the close
of the season if the FISH could have the river
free from nets during these six weeks, and be
allowed in peace to reach their spawning
grounds, there would be no necessity for an
increased appropriation, even if canning es-
adjustments were doubled and fishermen
multiplied In the same proportion. During
the close season-August LIST to September
I5th-no salmon We're publicly exposed for
sale IN the markets, and outwardly the law
seemed to be observed, but we have reason to
believe they were caught and privately
brought to San Francisco at night, and were
served at hotels and restaurants to all who
would call for them. The canning establish
ments ceased to purchase and tin salmon on
OF pf i
vised faithfully observed the law, but it is
reported that many of the fishermen did not
stop netting, and that more than 100 tons OF
salt were seld in San Francisco about the 1st
OF August, and shipped to by-places OH the
sloughs and islands of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin, to be used in sailing salmon
during the close season.
THIS ILLEGAL FISHING
Is done at night, and the fish are taken be.
fore daylight to temporary shanties for salt
ing and smoking, hidden in the wilderness
of sloughs and tule islands We have no
means to prevent this violation of the law,
and ind but little disposition to assist on the
part of Justices of the Peace and Constables
in the vicinity, who hold Office by the votes
of men who violate the law. The close sea-
son is now too short. Salmon in large num-
bers, with eggs fully matured, were on sale in
San Francisco and other markets from Sep
TENDER 18th to the, LIST of October, and yet
we learn efforts will be made at the coming
session of the Legislature to still further re-
duce it, or to change it to time when there
are no fish coming in from the ocean, or per-
haps to completely abolish it.
THE CATCH.
The following record of salmon caught in
the Sacramento and San Joaquin and trans
ported to San Francisco, Sacramento and
Stockton will show the relative catch for the
years during which we have caused statistics
to be obtained:
Open season November l, 1874, to August l. 1875
5,09S,7 Sl pounds; November l. 1875, to August l.
1876, 5,3ll, 423; November l, 1876 to August l.
1877, $685. September 10, 1877, to August l.
1873, 6,520, 76s; September Is, 1873, to August l.
1879, 4,4S2, $50.
The apparent falling off in the season of
1889 was not because the fish were not as
numerous in the river as in former years, but
in consequence of a dispute between the pro-
prletors OF the canning establishments and
the fishermen as to the price to be paid by
the former for the fish as they were caught.
This dispute continued for some weeks during
the hight of the fishing season. The canning
establishments stopped work, the fishermen
formed an association and limited the catch to
salmon for the supply of the San Francisco
market. During this period but few fish were
taken. The catch was, however, inexcess of
the requirements of San Francisco, and while
the fishermen refused to sell average salmon
on the fishing grounds to the canning estab-
Gshments at twenty-five cents each, they for
warded them fifty miles to San Francisco and
sold them for twenty five cents and less
For month the choicest salmon, weigh
ing from sixteen to thirty pounds, could
be bought from fishing boats at the
San Francisco wharves for one cent per
pound. The dispute between the fishermen
and the canning establishments, by which the
river was practically open to the free run of
the fish for nearly month, will have one
beneficial effect. 1t is equivalent to an in
crease in the length of the close season dur
ing the present year The effect was soon OBJ
served on the McCloud and upper Sacra-
mento. The spawning grounds were early
filed with fish in greater numbers than ever
before observed. The fish were so numerous
in the McClOud before the fishermen renewed
work on the lower Sacramento that in the
pool of the United States Fishery, Livingston
Stone, Deputy United States Fish Commits
sioner, estimated that in one haul of the
seine he captured over 1000 salmon. From
this dispute, resulting in an open river dur
ing the hight of the run, thus allowing the
fish to reach their spawning grounds, it is
safe to predict an extraordinary run of salmon
in the river in the season of 1888 and 1884.
CANNING STATISTICS.
H. D. Dunn's report to the Commission of
canning statistics gathered on the Pacific
Coast is given in full. He places the cost of
canneries in California at 1874 500, and that
in 1873 they canned IS, 974 cases of four dozen
1-pound cans. In 1879, 13, S55 cases, worth
ST 80 per can on the average. In Oregon
the canneries cost 81, 375 600, and there were
canned in 1873 GOA, $40 cases. and in 1879
Ago, 800 cases. From September 10, 1877,
to August l, 1873 there were taken in the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers 5,2l6, 6l5
pounds of salmon and 334, 800 pounds of
sturgeon. Between the same dates in the
following year 3,546, col pounds of salmon
and COZ, 800 pounds of sturgeon. These fig
ures do not include the catch above Sacra-
mento or ABOVE Stockton, for which % per
cent should be added
RECOMMENDATIONS.
After nine years of study and observation
the Commissioners say the supply of salmon
can be kept up notwithstanding the increased
demand by reason of advanced facilities of
transportation and the increase of popula-
ton, but add, that three things must be OBJ
served.
First-There must be an honest close sea-
son, faithfully observed by the fishermen. to
allow portion of the ripe fish to reach the
spawning grounds. This would keep up a
normal supply in the river, which normal
supply would depend upon the area of clean
gravel beds at the sou-ces of the streams over
which pure water of a proper temperature
was passing. 1t would also give supply of
FISH at the only places where their eggs could
be taken for artificial Matching.
Sec6nd-The thousands of sea lions and
seals at the Golden Gate and in the bay
carefully protected by legislative enactment
without doubt catch more fish annually
than all the nets of the fishermen. These
rapacious animals observe neither close season