The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-12-08
A Big Year for Fish.

begin work in q few days on an annual
report that will bea remarkable expo
sition of the states development in its
fisheries. The advance of the past
year, or rather of 1899, has been won
derful and the promise of the future,
through the work of the hatcheries, is
even brighter.
Seven new hatcheries will be in OPP
Grafton by the close of the year and
new cycling station will have been IN
use for season. Another new hatch
cry will be under construction and
preparations will be commenced short
ly after the issuance of the rcp It for
the construction of seven more hatch
erles. This, with the hatcheries at
Kalama, the Chinook and Chehalis
hatcheries, will give the state eighteen
new hatcheries with q combined Ca
pacity of over 100000 spawn
annually.
The hatcheries that have been built
this year, or will have been completed
by the end of December are: Little
Spokane, Wenatchee, Wind river, an
cycling station at the Kalama hatch
cry, all on tributaries of the Columbia;
Nooksack, Samish, tributary to the
Skokomish, all on the Sound; the
Willapa hatchery and the White river
plant will have been commenced by
the end of the year. These with the
hatcheries already built, have COM
bined capacity of about $1,000 600
spawn.
The Baker lake hatchery is now OPP
Grated by the United States fisheries
department. The following new
hatcheries will be constructed by the
state fisheries department next year !:
Nisqually river. Methow, Colville.
Klickitat. Stillaguamish, Dungeness
and Skagit.
With the completion of the fish
hatcheries now under construction
and those planned, this state will have
an enormous output of spawn annual
ly. The estimate of more than 10O,-
100000 is made on the supposition
that the hatcheries be operated to their
full capacity, but it is not probable
they will average more than IS per
cent of that. Even this would mean
the state should be able to turn out
annually, allowing for all accidents,
between 50,OW,0OO' and 100000
spawn.
This is estimated to be twice the
number of salmon caught by fisher
men in all parts of the state this year.
No figures are ever kept of the num-
Der OF fish caught, but the best esti-
mates would place the total at not
more than half the number of spawn
the state proposes to turn out annual
ly at its hatcheries. This increase,
with the natural increase, would fur
nlsh an impetus to the industry that
would result in twice the number of
men engaged in the business. This
state has more hatcheries than any
other on the coast.
The annual report of the fish COM
missioner will show the collection of
licenses has been fully up to the ex-
pectation of the department.. About
$3S, 600 has been turned into the fund
from licenses, and as the last legisla-
lures act increasing fees did not be-
come effective until a large number of
licenses had been issued, the estimate
of SAC, 600 a year revenue is believed
to be correct.
The collection of individual license
fees has not, perhaps, been as thorough
as the department had hoped for, but
under the circumstances it is regarded
as satisfactory. The deputies have
watched the license system closely and
have compelled practically all men in
the business to live up to the laws.
The output of canneries on the
Sound has not been definitely ascer-
tanned as yet, but it is believed the
total will amount to fully 900, 600
cases. This is big increase over the
output of last year and as each case of
canned salmon represents an average
OF thirteen fish, it means nearly H.
100000 salmon have been taken for
this purpose.
The amount of salmon sold locally
is estimated at 500 tons. Smoked fish
hello their own, not showing the in
crease that was expected OF them, but
making . good showing. There was
an inc rease in the amount of salt fish.
but as yet no figures on the output
have been obtained.
The experiments with the artificial
| 2 ropagation of Eastern oysters have
reached stage that next year will
|, promise success. Professor Doane OF
the Pullman Agricultural college spent
most of the summer on Willapa bar.