The record-union., 1897-11-09
Protecting Salmon.

Eds. Record Union: ! see by your
''Voice Of the Press column that the
Red Bluff Peoples Cause and the
Redding Free Press have set up a
howl against the fish and game law
on the usual ground that the poor
devil has the same right as the rich one
TO catch fish, etc." and that the law is
a disgrace to civilization and one of the
selfish class against the mass
Before those papers took up the howl,
they should have assured themselves of
the facts, if they did not know them.
For more than twenty years those who
have the best interests of the State at
heart and who know of what value the
food fish supply is to a State, when
properly preserved, have been trying
TO frame a law that would give to the
people the largest liberty in catching
and using salmon and at the same time
allow the money which the Fish Com
missioners have annually expended to
produce the best results. Patient inves-
tigation demonstrated several years ago
the fact that il takes the salmon about
two months from the time they enter
the lower bay on their way 10 the
spawning grounds to reach the grounds
dA RIlc uEdl waters OI the sacramento
River and creeks where they deposit
their eggs. Heretofore the close sea-
son has been made from a month to
six weeks for the whole river, in order
TO allow the spawning fish to run up
and deposit their spawn
Manifestly this was not long enough.
and it was clearly demonstrated that by
the time the great mass of the fish,
heavy With spawn and milt nad
reached the upper waters. ready to de-
posit the spawn and propagate their
species, the close season was removed
and the fish. which We're really almost
unfit for food, were captured by thou
sands and all the spawn destroyed. 1t
was evident therefore, that the money
expended by the Fish Commission was
being very largely wasted, for there
was no use OF spending ii n the fish
that were hatehed out were not to be
permitted to return when of proper age
and perpetuate their species.
For that reason. after several years of
change in the close season, the pres
ent law was passed, after consultation
with the Fish Commissions officers. No
discrimination against any one was in
tended, but as by a certain time the
great majority of the spawning fish
had passed Sacramento on their way up
the river, which would take nearly or
quite another month. the law was
framed so as to allow them 10 reach
their spawning grounds unmolested. by
still continuing the close season above
that point. l think may venture to
say, however, that not a county peace
officer In Colusa, Tehama or Shasta
County Is not fully aware that the law
is daily violated by men who catch
the salmon and peddle them through
those counties. for ii is a notorious
fact that ii is done.
There is no question of the poor
devil'' or the rich man in the matter.
II Is simply a question of whether the
Fish Commission shall keep on spending
money for which the people of Los An
geleS and San Diego are taxed equally
with those OF Red Bluff and Redding. in
maintaining hatcheries. the fish from
which are not 10 be allowed TO spawn
and therefore aid in -perpetua ton
and thus lessen the cost while obtaining
the best results. or whether the State
shall abandon the plan OF trying to
help its people by providing for them
an industry that brings in millions of
dollars for the food supply thus pro-
vided. How much better off would The
poor devils" be IL the hatcheries were
abandoned and salmon became as
scarce in a few years as they are in
the Hudson and Connecticut Rivers.