The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-01-24

tinct In very few years. This, he saws.
Will thus deprive the world of one of its
most valuable food products.
The industry on Puget Sound, he SAYS.
at the present rate will not last more than
few years. The Alaska salmon fishing
grounds he Classics as the largest in the
world, but in all parts where this fish ia
70 De found. he says, there is wholesale
discrimination going on. Unless the plans
mat are now followed are changed, and at
once ne ADDS, the output of all districts
VIII begin to decrease very shortly, or
Wltnin year or two. His recommends
tiOn Is that the government establish
-hatcheries In Alaska capable of PRODUCING
az least Il ,OOO, 900 salmon every year.
While on this tour of inspection of the
methods employed at the fishing grounds
ON Puget Sound and Alaska, Mr.. Hut1.hin
spenf several weeks here and about two
months in Alaska. In all the places he
visited ne made extensive inquiries
among the fishermen, and while reticent
out the intimation that salmon FISHING
could not be continued in the present
ways for any considerable length of time.
In an Interview regarding the matter at
the time of his return from Alaska he
said:
Not Enough Hatchsriss
There is not enough attention given to
the perpetuatiOn of the salmon industry
in the Puget Sound country. The meth
DDS that are at the present time employed
will in time result in q shortage of fish.
Inc state hatcheries that are in operation
mere now are well and good, but they are
not sufficient. There should be at least
sArnf l.
that would not be too many. There is no
better industry in all this section of the
country than that Of salmon fishing, but
You are DISCRIMINATING the fish, and in a
few years you will see that am right.
There is another thing that you have
not given consideration here, and that is
the fact that you do not give the fish the
proper opportunity to increase. That is,
your closed season is not long enough.
On this account every year I find there
are millions of eggs and young fish de-
stroyed. The ocean Is not made up of
salmon. There is q goOdly unmber of
them there, no doubt, but like everything
else there is an end, and the manner in
which the business is run on the Sound
will bring you 10 the end shortly.
Great Waste In Alaska
1.-THE Alaska waters are the greatest
S"AAiOh inning WdtcIS III tu0 WOrlO, DuC
they are being caught there in the same
ruthless manner. In fact, there is a
greater waste in Alaska than there is in
I'm order that the indicated condition
may not be brought about it will lie
necessary to make some changes in the
present laws as they relate to the fishing
industry. 1t is a matter for the cOnsidera-
ton OF the department., and in my report |
shall make recommendations as l in |
my opinion think will fit the needs.
while on account of the greatly in |
creased pack each year it has not been
noticed here, it Is true nevertheless that
within the past five years there has been
D growing shortage. Five years ago there |
were twice as many salmon in the Sound |
waters as there are at the present time. |
At that time there was not the same de- |
mand for the produce that there is now
and all were not needed. AS the demand |
has increased, SO have the number of
and when there has been a |
poor year it is attributed to being an off
year or to the fact that there is too much |
web In the water. Five years ago all the |
OH Puget Sound could not have |
put up the fish that could have been |
caught with the same amount of web |
here is in the waters at present.
'SOme plans must be devised at once
the increase of the fish will be |
more rapid. They must be taken care of |
md thereby the industry will be pre-
served"