The Alaska daily empire., 1922-05-13

in the Columbia River, but the trout
increased at the same time.
Many have visited the Territorial
Hatchery, which is of special interest
generally, but comparatively few are
aware of the fact that our Territorial
Fish Commission has worked along
lines extensively different from
Washington and Oregon and also DAT
ferent from those of the Alaska or
the Government hatcheries. In TACT
what the public has seen of the
Young fish was the least valuable OF
what has been accomplished for al
aska's great Industry during the last
three seasons. The clearing away or
distractions in the different salmon
streams so that the salmon could
more readily reach their natural
spa wning grounds has certainly been
of very great value to Alaskas most
important industry. as has also the
destruction of the predatory fish ana
otherwise keeping them away from
the salmon spawning grounds. more
than 10000 of the fish that were
living chiefly on the young salmon
have been caught. AS one trout had
been caught with 263 just liberated
young salmon he had swallowed Tor
a single meal, this must make
great difference in the runs OF 1873,
1924 and 1925.
SO satisfactory was the WORK OF
the Territorial Commission to the
packers at the Westward they volun-
tarily subscribed $125 per line the
first year, which was expended mi
1920. The following year they yoiun
tarily subscribed 5000 per line, max
ing a total of $4,000 added to the
Territorial appropriation for last
season. OF course no one is more
interested in this work than are the
packers themselves, but they are TOO
shrewd to pay out cash in such
amounts unless they were sure OF the
results. This fairly well proves that
the work has been successful and
there is great reason to be proud
of success in a field of failure.
1t has been very different, how
ever, with the Indians. The Chill
kat is one of the very greatest OF
Alaska's red salmon streams, and
for some 40 years or more has d.
rectly furnished the chief support to
these Indians 1t has been chiefly
the Indians that have over-fished the
Chilkat River, estuary and vicinity.
thus preventing a sufficient number
of salmon of late years from reach
ing the spawning grounds OF that
great stream When the Commission
proposed clearing away distractions
TO the salmon going up that stream
the Chilkats petitioned against this
on the ground that in removing these
distractions some blueberries might
be trampled on and that here was
their special berrying grounds.
Wasn't that a great reason to give
when there are so many thousand
acres in that very vicinity always I'M
touched except by wilder animals?
Another excuse was that good In
dams had been laid away in that
region and that a greater run of
salmon might disturb the shades of
| the dear departed.
The greatest work that has yet
been done towards salmon propaga-
ton was in the planting of some A.
100000 of what are known as eyed
salmon eggs" the fortified eggs in
the early stage of propagation. The
| Alaska salmon is a much higher or
der than other fish. They mate,
scoup out the nests for their eggs
and place some 1900 eggs for each
pair, considerable portion of which
are fortified. in the sand, some two
or three feet deep, thus making them
safe from trout and gulls by covering
with a few inches of gravel. In i'm
itation of the way the eggs are plant
ed naturally by the salmon. these
| eyed eggs" have practically all
Matched and it has been seen that
later the young fry have gone safely
from the spawning grounds. Espe-
cially valuable work has been done
in Baranoff Lake, where there were
no trout The natural cascades hav-
ing made it impossible for the trout
to reach there, consequently this
propagation has been the greatest
success yet made in this line OF work.
AS should have been noted above the
hair seal has been observed to be
very destructive to the salmon, and
on the Copper River ground 1925 Of
them have been destroyed.
| AS generally calculated. the re-
suits OF the first years work OF the
| Territorial Fish Commission will be
in the season of 1928 and there will
certainly be a far greater supply
| from that and the two following
years than would have been the case
had the work of the Commission not
been DONE Comparatively few can
neries operated last season, which
was considered cycle year. so pos
sibly for the first time for several
years quite nearly a normal propa-
cation may then have taken place and
| II so 1925 should be again the year
OF a big salmon run. AS this coming
season is the fourth year following
| that of 1918 the year OF the greatest
| al