The record-union., 1896-09-24
THG STATES GAME and FISH,
Report Of the Board Of Fish Commits
SiOnerS.
important Work Accomplished. and
Still Greater Results to Follow
In the Future.

H. r. Emeric, William G.. Murdoch
ana ). M. Morrison, the State Board of
rlsn commissioners, have transmitted
10 the Governor their fourteenth bien-
NAL report
II states that the work of the commits
sioh Is steadily increasing and its field
ior useIulness so rapidly extending that
Hiuch time is required to plan the work
anu properly attend to the various
questions constantly demanding atten-
uon. The policy of the first board and
the succeeding boards has been fol-
iowed out and the claim is made that
the care and supervision Of the COM
mercial fisheries is worthy of the best
eftorts of the board and will make re-
turns hundredfold to the people Of the
State.
The report quotes from a work pub
iished by DR.. H. M. Smith of the United
States Commission of Fish and Fisher
les, stating that THE jealous efforts of
the Fish Commissioners Of California to
increase the quantity and variety of
food and game fishes of the State de-
serves special recognition. For more
than twenty-five years the energies Of
the commission have been almost con-
stantly directed to the acclinatization
of desirable fishes inhabiting the waters
of the Eastern States. Their remarka-
bic success when acting on their own
behalf and in conjunction with the New
York Commission and the United States
Fish Commission entities them to the
great credit and praise which they have
received both from the inhabitants of
California and from the people Of other
States and foreign countries
II has been the aim of the commission,
as far as possible, to protect the game
and game fish interests of the State, be-
leving that they are of great import
ance and demand more attention and
better protection than has been hereto
fore obtained. 1t has, during the past
two years, by watching the market
centers and sending men into districts
where violations were reported, made
many arrests and put a stop to much
illegal work.
The fish hatcheries at Battle Creek,
Tallac and Wawona stations are much
better equipped than ever before and
better able to carry on the work of re-
stocking and increasing the output Of
our streams and lakes. The largest
plant of salmon fry in five years was
Put out last year at Battle Creek, it
being IL. 4.2S3, $50.
All applications for fish for public
waters have been granted, so far as they
were suitable for the varieties asked
for, but the demand has been so great
that the supply, even with the greatly
increased output, has not been equal to
il
The difference in output Is shown in
the years 1895 and 1896. In the former
year it was: Eggs, $1,000; fry, 1891
700;. adults and yearlings. 1929. In
1896 the figures are: Eggs, 1.141, 900:
fry, 1S.346, 1873; adults and yearlings,
:; 100. The total for 1896 is 10, 492 942,
az against 7,775, 939 for the previous
year.
The remarkable success of the plant of
Eastern fresh water fish in Lake Guy
emaca, San Diego County, in 1891,
would indicate that these varieties.
w hich are held in high esteem in the
Last as food and game fishes. as well
S others introduced here, will find con-
genial waters in our State, thereby add
ing to our already large variety Of
fishes and making our waters more pro-
ductive
Efforts have been made to introduce
desirable mollusks and crustaceans
from one part of the State to another,
with the hope of increasing their range
and supply.
The sawdust question in the Truckee
River has demanded attention and the
stream, as well as others, is now kept
free from the pollution. Fish ladders
have also been put in and inspected
ard most of the dams are now provided
with ladders.
The policy Of retaining trained and
capable men who have been employed
IN the work for many years has enabled
the work to proceed without Interrupt
ton and the report favors the applica-
ton of civil service rules to the COM
mission, as melting the men TO more
careful and better work, knowing that
the retention of their positions depended
on ii.
It has been designed to conduct the
commission on business lines and make
the best possible use of the appropria-
tion, which has many times seemed in
adequate, and it has been necessary to