The Washington times., 1903-09-25
SALMON FAMINE
IS NOW FEARED
Building of Hatcheries the
Only Remedy.
BIG RUNS OF S0cKEYE CEASE
Fish Expert Says Consumers Must Wait
Until Nature Has Been Assisted in
Retrieving Losses.

WHATCOM, Wash, Sept 25.-'I do
not look for any good runs of sockeye
salmon until after hatcheries of con-
siderable magnitude have been estab-
hshed on the Fraser River
This statement was made recently by
T. r. Kershaw. State fish commissioner
IN answer to query as to the signif-
canoe OF this years light run of fish.
The secret of the matter is that the
supply has been heavily drawn upon
year after year. with no effort at re-
punishment. The wealth of nature in the
line of sockeye salmon has been con-
stantly exploited. and nature has not
been assisted TO make good the losses.
The traps and seines have harvested
yearly, up to this year, ten to thirty
millions of this product of the sea. and
no additional seed has been planted.
Hatch More Salmon.
AS the commissioner says, the only
way to perpetuate the supply is TO hatcn
more salmon, and keep on Matching
them
The present condition of the canning
industry is certainly bad" said the
fish commissioner. but its future rests
largely with ourselves To cite a prac-
tieally parallel case. five years ago the
Gamers on the Columbia River were
broke; they we're in the same condition
that some of the Puget Sound cannery
men are finding themselves in this year,
Two years later returns began TO come
| from the work OF the chinook salmon
hatcheries- Every subsequent year the
run increased in volume. This increase
was due to nothing other than the sup
ply turned out by the hatcheries.
What the hatcheries have done fol
the chinook fisheries on the Columbia
they can do for the sockeye fisheries o.
Puget Sound once they are established
There is not now a single soekeye hatch
cry on any stream tributary TO Pugel
Sound. There are eighteen hatcherie'
in the state. or these, three are turn.
ing out chinook salmon, and the other
fifteen the cheap pink fish. No red sal
mon are being artificially propagated FOL
the sound fisheries.
The fact that more than 80 .0O0, 900 o.
sockeyes were taken in one year, 1901
ought TO be hint that some method O
replenishment should be undertaken
particularly when you reflect on th'
disappointing returns OF this year
There will be no more big runs of sock
eye without hateheries; without artif
cial propagation the fishing and cannlni
industry on the Sound and in the Erase
win never again be important
Efficacy of Hatcheries.
las to the efficacy OF hatcheries Their
can be no question. In our State hatch
cries We turn out 80 per cent of all tn
eggs we take in; while, according I,
scientists. but per cent OF the eggs ar
saved in the natural spawning grounds
An ordinary sockeye contains about 3,
900 eggs.
Another plan l have in mind for I'll
replenishment of the salmon supply Of
Puget Sound is the production here o
the Columbia River chinook salmon
This is a red fish of even better qualit
than the sockeye, and four times a
large. An average chinook will weig
probably thirty pounds; a sockeye. abou
seven or eight. We shall turn out chi
hooks at the Sultan, Dungeness. an
White River hatcheries; 10 the others W
shall ship the surplus eggs from III
, Columbia River. l am confident the ex
pertinent will be a success