Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-09
FISH COMMISSIONERS.
Suggestions for the Protection of the
| Fish Industry.

|
| The report of the Fish Commissioners
has been printed at the State Printing
| Office and is a pamphlet of thirty-three
pages, ably written, and full of interesting
and important information.
In speaking of the salmon, the Commits
sioners say it is the most important of our
inland fish, and in great demand, not only
by our citizens for table consumption, but
also by the numerous canneries, some
twenty-one in number, situated on the
banks of the Sacramento, the bays, and in
| San Francisco. These canneries have
| largely increased their business during the
past few years, the average pack now being
about 100000 cans per annum. The in
crease of the catch for the last three years
has caused q marked decrease in the sup
ply, and they look for more marked de-
crease the coming season, the causes for
which are many, viz: Illicit fishing during
the close season; loss of salmon in the
tules consumption by seals and sea-lions.
which follow the fish from the Golden Gate
to Rio Vista the different kind of aquatic
| birds, which are numerous and
very destructive to the. young of
all kinds of fish as they are descend
ing from the spawning grounds to the
ocean; dams and other distractions
near the spawning grounds. These are the
principal difficulties over which the Com.
missioners have no control except as to the
first. They have exercised their power to
abate the evils of illicit fishing, but owing
to the limited means at their command
have been unable to stamp it out. During
| the season of 1888 the Commissioners placed
patrol upon the rivers and bays. which
had very wholesome effect.
The marked increase in salmon caught in
| the last few years is on account of the de-
mand from the cannerieS. During the
heavy run in former years, the fishermen
did not work more than one-third of the
time The canneries take the most of the
catch from the 1st of April to the 18th of
July, and from the lst of September to the
middle of October The fishermen work
most of the time, say eighteen hours of the
twenty-four.
1t is necessary for the Commission to
plant as many young salmon as can be
procured, at the headwaters of the Sacra-
mento, in order to keep up the supply.
Owing TO the breaking of the water-wheel
of the United States hatchery on the Nc
Cloud river, and to other causes, the supply
of Young fish was cut short in the year 1888
more than 100000. 1t will be necessary
for the California Commissioners to plant
not less than 100000 young fish each year
in order to meet the heavy drain cOntinu-
ally going on.
The large demands that came from the
packing houses in the year 1883 caused an
unusual amount of fish to be taken. During
this season, which has been an unusually
short one, the amount of fresh salmon,
which has been packed, amounts to 45l ,957
> ell rol,,
gregating 7,349,9 9S pounds. The amount
of fresh spring salmon sold in the markets
was 115,O04 and of fall run 52,902, aggre-
eating ;, 235 6S4 pounds Total number of
pounds sold and canned in the year 1883
95S5,672 pounds. These statistics do not
include 1000 or more caught above Sacra-
mento city. In order to meet this immense
drain, it will be necessary to have at least
one Matching house belonging to the State
on the Little Sacramento, or the McCloud
OF Pit rivers.
From the fifteenth day of October, 1888
until the first day of January. 1884, the run
Of salmon was very good, and especially in
the month of January, as there were more
caught during that month of what's termed
the winter run, than in years past. The
cause was probably on account of the stage
of the river, which was extremely low for
that season of the year. The spring ran
was retarded in consequence of the low
water and no considerable amount of fish
was caught until after the Goth of March.
The outlook for 4 heavy run early in the
season was not promising, there being less
fish observed outside the bay of San Fran
cisco than for a number of years preceding.
The decrease of salmon in the McCloud
river in 1883 was caused by the continual
blasting on the line of the Northern Pacific
L, u IL, IL,
fish to stop below the United States hatch
cry at Bairds, only allowing very few fish
to ascend to their spawning grounds. 1t
was a cause that could not be avoided.
Livingstone Stone, the Deputy United
States Fish Commissioner for this coast,
did all in his power To catch as many fish
as would fill his contract with the Commits
sioners of this State 1900, 900, but did not
succeed byabout 3 600 900. The Commission
ers desire not less than 100000 each year in
order TO keep up the supply and to increase
the number The demand is increasing
every wear, and, unless the number OF
young fish can be increased, our run Of
salmon will be less every year. In the
year 1888 there were caught not less than
5000 more than the Commission planted
\ considerable number of salmon spawn
in different streams, quite large proper
ton running into the Sacramento and San
JOAQUIN rivers: and. in fact, we feel as
surcd that most OF the fall run OF salmon
never reach the McCioud, but deposit their
0va upon the bars between Colusa and
Red Bluff
The pack of salmon on the Sacramento
for the year 1881 viii fall short fully one
half from that of the year 1853 although
more than ordinary cXertiops have been
made by the fishermen TO obtain them.
81
1889 predicted a heavy run of fish in the
Sacramento river for the years 1883 and
1881, but, for the various causes mentioned, |
their predictions have not been fulfilled.
The fall run of salmon Of 1854 has been
the lightest that was ever known in the
memory of the oldest fisherman. On the
first and second days of September the run
was not as heavy rs 1t should have been
during the same days in the month Of Oc
tober. There is no cause known to the
Commission tor the marked decrease in the
fall run this year, as the fall fish have in
yariably taken care of themselves.
The principal fresh-water food fish ofthe
state are the salmon, Truckee trout, club,
pike. dace, lnulIet, carp, sturgeon, cattis..
and bullheads, whitcfish, shad and striped
bass. The saltwater food fish are rock
cod or groupe, bay fish, eeis, black bass and
Holsters.
The present Commissioners have used
earnest endeavors to protect tle fish inter
est from the unlawful raids made by I'M
priucipled fishermen during the close sea
son, by employing and placing patrol
on the various bays and watcrcourses of
This State, which action has resulted in
great benefit. During the month of Au-
gust. lSS5, the Commission caused the ar
rest of thirtv-six violatOrs of the fish laws,
chiefly Greeks and Italians; all were con-
victed and fined. During the months Of
September and October, 1888, forty-eight
Chinese were arrested for violating the pro-
visions of Section 63G of the Penal Code, by
fishing with set-nets, and in nearly all cases
convictions were obtained. The Legis-
laturc should pass a very stringent law pro-
hihiting the use of set-nets, whether for
catching Of shrimp or fish; shrimp nets
especially are more destructive to the young
Of all varieties of fish than any other nets
used. from the fact that while the fisher
men. who are fishing for the market, use
nets that will catch nothing but marketable
fish, on the other hand those parties who
catch shrimps have their nets made OF 50
small sized mesh that it is impossible for
the young Of any kind to escape theretrom.
thereby catching and destroying immense
numbers The only way 90 avoid The evil
is TO stop the catching Of shrimp except by
the use of proper seines. If the mode
adopted by the Chinese Is allowed TO be