Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-09-17
OUR FISH HATCHERIES.

State Fish Commissioner Little has
just completed an inspection of the
State fish hatcheries. He visited the
Kalama hatchery, situated four miles
north of Kalama on the Columbia
river, and also the Chinook hatchery,
which is located eight miles east of
Ilwaco. He gives an encouraging re-
port regarding the prospects of this
seasons accomplishments in the sew
eral institutions of this character
which have been established by the
State.
The hatcheries Commissioner Little
found in fairly good condition, ready
for the business of propagating by ar
tifcial means hundreds of thousands
of fish during the winter. In ten
days they will be in full operation and
the work of catching salmon for the
purpose of ejecting the spawn is we'll
under way. The fish are just begin.
ming to run in the Columbia river, the
recent rains having driven them in
from the ocean.
The arrangements have just been
completed for the erection of the new
fish hatchery on the Chehalis ri, er for
which an appropriation of 5000 was
set:aside by the last Legislature. twill
probably be located below the mouth
OF the Satsop river on the Chehalis,
about five or six miles above Monte.
sano. Speaking of the new building,
Commissioner Little says that it will
be the finest hatchery on the coast.
The appropriation is ample, and the
facilities for obtaining lumber are such
as to insure satisfactory expenditure
OF the money allowed for this purpose.
The expectation at present is to begin
building in few days and complete
the hatchery in time to be ready for
the run of steel-head salmon during
December.
At the Chehalis hatchery the varie.
ties of fish propagated will include the
silver-side, black salmon and steel.
heads. The necessity for increasing
the supply of the latter variety is uni.
versally recognized by all who have
given the fish question a thought
This variety is the best fish for the
winter market, as it can be shipped
with least expense on account of the
cold season of the year in which it is
caught. The supply has been cut
down materially and artificial means
must necessarily be employed if the
State is to profit from the steel-head
salmon trade. The fish run from 8 to
15 pounds.
The propagation of this species as
well as of the black salmon will be an
innovation. Heretofore the hatcheries
have turned out only the Chinook
salmon on the Columbia and the sock.
eye from Baker lake.
At Baker lake, where the latter fish
are being increased by the operation
of the hatchery there established, the
sockeyes are only just beginning to
run and from now until March the
young fry will be released in immense
quantities.
The capacity of the Kalama, Bake,
and the proposed Chehalis hatcheries
is 5000, 900 each for the season. Tha,
of the Chinook institution being esti
mated at half the above figure. This
season if sufficient number of salmon
are caught the spawn will be shipped
from the Chinook to the Kalams
hatchery after the eggs have reached 6
certain stage in the process of propa
cation, for the reason that the facili.
ties for taking care of the young fry
are better at the latter place. During
the fish season, when catches are being
made from 10 to u men are constantly
employed at the larger institutions
and half dozen at the Chinook. 1,
has been estimated that only 5 PEI
cent. of the spawn of salmon ART
Matched by natural process owing
largely to the number of parasites that
follow the fish up the river to feei
from the newly laid eggs. On thu
other hand by means of artificial prop
agation 95 per cent. are supposed tt
hatch successfully, although by many
this estimate is considered too high.