The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-12
KH FISH LlNs NEEDED.
UNRESTRICTED CATCH - HAvlxG
ITS EFYECr II TmE STATE.
Fish CsnnsssseaeS Little sDesks
Before the Whaae~n Board 81
TraAe-Lase Seasons Catch show
e . Marked Decrease Over Years

Special Dispatch TO the Post-inteiiigencef.
wHATCOA. Dec. u--rish Commission
er Little, BY requeas. addressed Ilae Board
Of Trade last night. He presented facts
- the result Of hiss Own Investigations 10
show that the Columbia riysr n&d fasien
on to At most 81 per cent OF ats former
yield and the probabilities were that the
percentage OF decrease sas mnca greater
than this statement would Indicate. Us
Ing this as a bssis and the decrease in the
Atlantic fisheries ne arsuea fer tae preser-
walton Of our salmon waiae there was yet
time The effect of me unrestricted catch
was already visible ia d decrease In Wash
ington FISH. In ssme Of streams the
run had fallen ~ per cent And all had de-
creased. He thought the remedy for the
threatened disaster lay In putting In num-
erous hatcheries. making certain close
seasons. prohibiting certain fishing gear at
places and closing the hatchery streams to
fishermen within 90 feet of their mouths.
He gave the results OF Investigations TO
show the superiority OF natcheres over
tho natural supply. In his estimation the
fry that reached ten weexs old by the
natural methods was less than one-haif Of
] per cent In the ha,cherles they could
turn out ~ Der cent. Last year the txl-
mated eaten on Puget sound and Frazer
river was H.s10010 pounds or about 1s.oo
90 fish. Even by the natural method IL
these fish had not been caught the IN
crease would have been 3olo0,.9n d. the
present time all the hatcneries were only
turning put a few million ana their product
must be increased very extensively 70 meet
the deficiency caused by the yearly catch.
A tar Of per cent. eausineiy distributed
on the fish interests, would meet the ex-
pense OF putting the machinery in motion
10 create a sufficient supply. He estimated
this tax would raise about Ess."o next
season, one-half Of It on Puge, sound.
The Baker lake hatcheries should show
some returns next year. This year they
were handicapped by bao weather and
deep shows The tax spoken OF would
more than double the capacity and turn
out 2s00o.o1G fry. on this it wac estimated
one In FIVE would return mature fish. An
experimental station was nadly needed tn
provide facts regarding the best methods
Of propagating shell fab on tho sound and
to prevent the exterVination Of the surg
con and other varieties besides the sal
mon. Within six or eight miles OF this
city there could be turned out as many
oysters az the entire state produces. and
thu Samish flats furnished half as large
an oyster area az could be found on ali
the Atlantic coast
He believed that the proper place for
the Federal hatchery. for which there had
been made an appropriation OF S1o.ooo was
on tributary OF the Fraser. as " per
cent. of the Fraser river nsh were caught
on this side by our fishermen and by plac-
ing II on one Of the streams running into
that river We wos.d receive full benefits
from It. friend Of HIS whom he con-
sddered reliable authority. mad Investigate
ed q stream running into Chilliwack lake
and found IL all that could be desired and
he was going TO make thorough inves-
tigation himself int the spring or that To-
cation. IL IL was suitable he would strong
IL recommend IL.
HI praised the efforts of the individuals
who had established hatchery on Samisl
lake and said IL would turn out 100000
fry this year. Two hundred thousand eggs
from the Columbia river had been forward
ed To 1t and 10000 from the Sacramento
hatchery were en- route and the efforts oi
its promoters were meeting with grand
success.
During the address Mr.. Little was Filled
with questions by interested auditors ard
at the close vote OF thanks was rendered
him.