The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-02-03
Annual Report Of Fish Warden
Makes Remarkable Showing
for Oregon.
RESUME OF PAST SEASON
Fishermen Profited Greatly by
Artificial Propagation-Big
Increase In Amount of
Fish Handled.


at the session OF the state fisherie
board held yesterday. In submittin
the detailed report Mr.. Van DuseI
says.
II am very much pleased to state tina
the Columbia river demonstrated agai
this year that artificial propagation l
the one thing that is preserving tn
great salmon industry. It is to tn
fisheries what the sowing of seed is I,
the farmer. excepting that II Is NOR,
far-reaching In its effect. as II Is lay
ing the foundation for a gradual increai
ing harvest each year. While artia,
cial propagation Of salmon has beer
In vogue on the Columbia river for onl,
a few years ir a systematic manner
the results obtained again this year
which Is the third in succession. have
been sufficient to indicate its wonderful
possibilities and to convince even the
most skeptical OF its great benefits.
"The first systematic hatchery work
started on the tributaries OF the Column
bia river was in the year 1895, when
7.6s7.000 chinook fry were turned out
by the United States government and
the state OF Washington-the Oregon
department not getting started with
its part until the year lsse--and SINCE
then the yearly output has been grad
ually increased. until now the COM
bined output Of the three departments,
that is. Oregon. Washington and the
United States government. will be this
season over 100000 chinook fry. This
increase am pleased to attribute prin-
cipally to the Oregon department, which
has been built up to sue hextent during
the past three years that this year II
turns out more chinook fry than WASH
ington and the United States govern
ment combined. and five times as many
as 1t did in the year 1901. The re-
suit OF the combined efforts Of the
three departments since the year 1895 Is
very gratifying and shows, per table
herewith submitted. that the complete
number OF chinook fry turned out in
to this great waterway was nearly
500, 100000
"The fishing season on the Columbia
river for the royal chinook, which is
the salmon that has been given the
principal attention in the art of arti-
fetal propagation. proved itself this
year to be the best that has been for
many year, and surpasses by 4.O73,-
722 pounds last year. which was the
banner year. This means an additional
100000 paid to the fishermen for the
raw product and nearly half million
dollars to the Gamers and dealers for
he canned and packed product. This
Is wonderful showing, considering
hat the artificial work carried on with
his fish during 1s99-1900. the season
he young fry were planted, did not
cost the state Of Oregon $4,000.
There was a falling Off Of so percent
With the blueback salmon and 1-2
yer cent with the steelheads, but with {
all, on account of the fine showing Il
made with the chinooks, there was a Is
,eneral increase Of nearly 20 per cent. Is
"The production of the coast streamsl
lso shows an increase this season over u
ast of 1.146,ss2 pounds. this increase t
howing principally with chinooks and
jlversides.
This makes the entire increase Of the a
roduct for the Columbia river Estate 8
{ Oregon side) and the coast streams s
.16S,377 pounds. v
Throughout the early months Of the $
eason on the Columbia there was no
erceptible increase; on the contrtry,
appeared as IL shortage was to oc- c
ur. The season opened with the river S
Ill of fine, early chinook, which was, S
'ithout doubt, the result OF the upper EE
lackamas river hatchery for 1t was 7
cry noticeable that those that were not
lken by the lower river fshermen
II turned into the willamette and
lackamas rivers and were caught In
IMMENSE quantities by the Willamette n
and Clackamas river fishermen, prin- al
pally in the confines Of the Clacka-
ias river. After this run had passed. C
y, small runs would occur from timeIS
}, time, bat nothing very heavy until s
lie last Of July when the pilots cruis- IL
g off the mouth Of the river in their
lot schooner reported that the ocean
as literally alive with salmon, which
ere headed for the mouth Of the Co dl
mbia, and that they were deliberately
aping and jumping over one another pi
their apparent haste to reach the O4