Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1921-05-06
Secretary Darwin Explains
Meaning Of Adopted
Regulation
PROHIBITS PURSE
SEEMING TO JULY IS
Regulation Is Identical With Legis.
latiOn Passed by Last Oregon
Legislature

Fishing for immature salmon in
the coastal waters C: the state of
Washington was greatly curtailed by
an order, effective May 3, 1921, just
promulgated by the state fisheries
board. In explaining the meaning
Of the regulation adopted by the
state fisheries board at its meeting
on April Goth, State Supervisor of
Fisheries L. H. Darwin, who Is also
the secretary of the state fisheries
board, said:
1.-THE order of the fisheries board
will greatly curtail the taking of
immature salmon in the Pacific
ocean of the western coast of the
state Of Washington and in the
Straits of Juan de Fuca, west Of a
line drawn from Bahada Point in
Clallam county to Owen Point on
Vancouver island. This embraces
all the territory not protected by the
announcement of the fisheries board,
made on April End, that all fishing
for immature salmon in the waters
Of Puget Sound will be prohibited
after January LIST, 1922.
Start Hook Fishing July 1.
Under the terms Of the new reg
ulation, fishing cannot commence
with hook and line until July Est
and must cease on August 25th, but
can recommerce on September 10th
and continue until November LIST.
Purse seining can only be carried on
from July 18th to August 25th."
In research work carried on over
period of several years by the state
fisheries department, it was ascer-
tanned that comparatively few i'm
mature salmon were taken after
July 18th, hence the action Of the
board in prohibiting any purse sein-
ing prior to that time.
Regulation Agrees With Oregon.
These immature salmon are only
fished for in the coastal waters by
trollers and purse seiners. The reg
ulation promulgated by the Wash
ington state fisheries board is identi-
cal with the legislation passed by the
last Oregon legislature. The Oregon
legislature acted upon the informa-
ton gathered by Professor E. Victor
Smith of the University of Wash
ington, for the fisheries department
Of Washington.
An attempt to curtail this fishing
has been met in the past by siren
uous objection. It was urged upon
the 1919 session of the legislature
by State Fish Commissioner Darwin,
and \precipitated a bitter fight, and,
like the other proposals made, went
down to defeat with the proposed
fisheries code. The new state fish,
cries board. consisting Of e. A. Sims.
chairman: Captain Harry Ramwell
and E. p. Blake, have, within less
than a month from the time Of their
appointment, become convinced Of
the necessity of curtailing this fish
ing, and have exercised the authority
given them to stop it in large part.
The economic loss involved in the
destruction of the immature salmon
was appalling. Investigations dts
closed that silverside salmon, taken
along in May and weighing only a
pound and three-quarters, IL per-
mitted to live until september, would
be mature and weigh an average Of
over nine pounds. Even greater was
the loss in Chinook salmon, which,
taken at the age Of two years, varied
from three to five pounds in weight,
and which, If permitted to live two
years longer, would be mature end
weigh an average Of twenty-three
pounds.
ATTEND COURT HEARING