The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-10-05
Can The Hateheries or-set Traps.

that the iaatcheries can supplant the
present and rapidly Increasing policy
OF ezternnlnaiion- II is generally
considered That Fish Commissioners
Little and his associates are very friend
ly TO the trap interests, and can see
no harm TO The wholesale fishing law
tlng stress On the capacity of the
inaleiaeEaes to keep up The supply.
The following from the Tacoma
Ledger of Monday shows what is being
done IN the matter OF fish propagation.
Some waliers are eonfending that,
as result of this years run of salmon
on the coast, the supply Is falling
short, and that the methods pursued
on the coast catch the fish and have
resulted IN rapidly depicting The supply
10 some extent This is true, but most
OF the criticisms bsing made are based
upon MISUNDERSTANDING OF the facts.
The run this year is comparatively
smaller than 1t should be and when
compared with last year : enormous
run the catch and rack show a remark
able decrease Bat last year Is nos a
basis OF comparison.
Fishermen and cannerylnen agree
that unless artificial methods are ad-
opted TO keep up the supply the oper-
atlOns OF fishermen viii In time deplese
the supply ON The coast. This state
has been actively preparing to meet
snch contingency for some time and
within year or two viii have between
twenty and thirty fish hatcheries IN
active operation. There are now six
teen hafeheries either practically com
pleted or In aetise operation and four
more may be constructed before The
close OF the present year. FISH Com
missioner a c. Little win ask the
next legislature to make liberal sppro-
priatiOns 20 continue the work.
This state built ITS first hatchery at
Kaiama in 1895 The plant at this
time had a capacity OF only g. 3yO0O, 600
fry Last year the fisheries depart
ment turned out 6,5OO,O00 OF small
fish, and this year the hatchery, with
Its extensive improvements, is In a
position to handle 1900, 900. An
''eyeing" station has been constructed
and the Kalama hatch cry is, In effect,
two complete plants
The Chinook hatchery which was
built in 1896 might have given better
results if it had been constructed on
the upper river. 1t has a capacity of
over ZOO 600 fry Fish return to The
spawning beds after four years, SO there
has scarcely been lime to demonstrate
from these Two hatcheries that their
construction was advisable, but expert
ence elsewhere has satisfied fishermen
that the theory is correct.
The Baker Lake hatchery, located
ON the Lake of the same Eame, was
built in the Sound district 1896 The
hatchery has capacity of 1900 600.
1t was sold TO ihe federal government
IN 1899 and some improvements made.
The Chehalis hatchery, with lis capa-
city of 5000 COO, was built in 1897.
During 1899 the state built the fol-
loving hateheries: Wenatchee, Nook
sack, Skokomish, each 1O.0QO, 900 ca
pacity; Snohosnish, 5000, 600; willapa
Wind river, Little Spokane, 1000, 600 (;
Samish, 100000
The White and Nisqnslly hatcher
les constructed this year are now ready
/ for operation The MethoE VIII be
completed within fifteen days and The
hatchery ON the Coiyille viii be COM
paeied in thirty days Each of the
last four has capacity of 3JO0O,O 600.
The four hatcheries authorized by the
last legislature and which have been
constructed are the Stillaguamish.
Klickifat, Skag1f and Dungeness, each
with a capacity OF SJO00.O00- The
construction OF the batcberses has
been done from the fund derived from
licenses.
The fish hateheries which are now
IN o,,eration in this state have COM
bined capacity OF 107 700 fry a
certain percentage Is always lost IN
hatchery work, bnt the output from
| the batchsries VIII be enormous this
season. Fish Commissioner Little
believes when the hateheries be propo-
ses to recommend to the legislaturs
are constructed the state xill be ablf
through artificial means to keep the run
m to The number that can be handled
lbr the trap men and cannen-
The regulations covering trap hsh'
| inx are believed to guard the 6sh well
/ although they undoubtedly catch I
larger percentage than would vasfl,
4 "a r n