The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-05-17
The Salmon Fisheries.

and cauueries, no fish were caught
for four weeks previous to the end
of the fishing time, which extended
the close season that much longer.
The result of such extension was
apparent in 1881 By the greatly
increased run of the salmon. In
1880 over ten million pounds of
fsh we're caught, and in 1881 the
catch was estimated to be over
fifteen million pounds, an increase
of so per cent. This year it is
supposed there will be larger in
crease. This is confirmatory of
the wisdom evinced in the enact
ment of statutes guarding the fish
during the close season. The
Fish Commissioners have for ten
years obtained statistics from the
canneries of the quantities of fish
caught. On the strength of this
information the Fish Commits
sioners have been able to conduct
their operations intelligently. The
supply of FISH has been SO largely
increased bv these intelligent
efforts that new canneries have
been able to start, and the older
institutions have been able to in-
crease their capacity and product.
1t is Just as necessary TO the well
fare of the canneries as it is for
the guidance of the Fish Commits
sion that all the information in the
possession of Gamers and fisher
men concerning the catch and
movements of the salmon in Sac
ramento River and its tributaries
should be freel Y communicated to
the Commissioners. The very ex-
istence OF the cauneries depends
upon proper and systematic CON
tinuance of the supply, which ex-
perience has proven must be aFti-
fcIally maintained.
The above from the San Fran
cisco Bulletin, especially the last
sentence, is suggestive of matter
of the gravest concern to cannery-
men on the Columbia. Reports
from the fisheries along the river
daily reach US, stating 10 substance
that the catch fer the season of
'82 is nothing like what it was for
the corresponding season of 81,
and that unless u change in the
supply takes place very soon the
pack Of salmon for 's2 will be an
extraordinary light one.
How to prevent a recurrence of
those slight years is the problem.
Whatever the cause it is evident
that the disastrous effect of such
cessation would be that one of the
main factors ofs Astoria's pros
perity would be seriously crippled.
Artificial propagation is the only
remedy at command. The history
of all piscioulture shows that arli-
fetal Matching is the one thing
that can be relied upon TO keep
up the supply Of food fish in any
locality that IS thoroughly fshed
every season. How to 60 about
it is the next point. 1t is not Cur
province NOR our purpose to go
into recountirg the causes of the
failure OF the Clackamas hatchery;
even now it is claimed that that
enterprise was not failure. If it
has demonstrated that fish can be
artificially propsgated in the Co.
lumbla river 1t certainly was a
success as a starter. The only
parties to act in this business are
the cannery-men themselves. Ma
tisnal aid may be invoked, state
aid may be called for: it would be
agood idea to make all effort to
get either national or state aid,
but "while the grass is growing
the horse is starving" and delay
in such matter is fatal TO the re-
suits that must accrue to prompt
action. We believe that con-
eerted action on the part of the
cannerymen who have their money
invested in the business and who
are directly concerned in the mat
ter, will result in the establishment
of hatchery in some eligible
point that under intelligent super
vision could be made to produce
results commensurate with the
money expended. Ali this thing
wants is a leader. Who will start
the matter going.
Stanley In Africa.