256 TJ. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



to a lot of imstat<^d and arbitrary laws, by-laws, and local regula- 

 tions, besides making the tenure exceedingly short, virtually only 

 one year, as a result of which Japanese capital refuses to erect more 

 than the crudest of plants. 



The Department of Domains fixes the limits of the stations, and 

 these are sold at public tender, usually during February and March. 



The exhaustion of the fishery resources of many of the European 

 waters belonging to Russia has forced some of her more enterprising 

 fishermen to seek for new supplies in her Siberian waters, and as 

 these resources become better knoAvn, and means of transportation 

 are increased and improved, there will doubtless be a tremendous 

 impetus given to their development. 



The "W^)rld War which devastated Europe between 1914 and 1918 

 had a particularly disastrous effect on Russia, where the terribly 

 devastating internecine warfare resulting from the revolution within 

 her bor(k'rs sapped her resources to such an extent that her Siberian 

 fishery operators have been unable to do anything other than make 

 a bare living out of the business and not even that in many cas<^s 

 o"\\'ing to the uncertainty of business conditions. As a result of th<^se 

 distressing handicaps upon the operations of the Russians, the 

 Japanese have had virtually a free hand in their exploitation of the 

 coastal fishery Resources of Siberia. As Siberia in the near future will 

 be the greatest producer of salmon, it behooves us to bestir ourselves 

 if we are to retain our command of the salmon market by taking 

 an active part in the development of Siberia's fishery resources, for 

 which development Russia has not h<Tetofore welcomed foreign 

 capital. When peace finally comes to that devastated land, how- 

 ever, her capital will be so depleted that she will doubtless 

 welcome relief from whatever source it comes, and as she knows 

 the United States has no territorial aspirations in her din^ction we 

 will doubtless be far more welcome than the Japanese, of whose 

 disinterestediu ss the Russians are extremely suspicious. 



Fishing rights in the gulfs and bays not included in the Russo- 

 Japanese convention, such as Peter the Gr<>at Bay, Imperial Har- 

 bor, Vanina Bay, Avatchinsk Bay, and others, as ^^'v\\ as the rivers 

 of Okhotsk and Kamchatka, are granted by the Governor General, 

 without public tenders, to persons of good repute, but for one year 

 only, and if they show their ability to establish a successful fishing 

 station a lease for 12 years can be secured on the basis of paying a 

 royalty of 2^ cents per pood (36.1 12 pounds) of prepared fish. Under 

 the terms of the leas(^ only Russian subjects can be employed at 

 the stations, while all sailing vessels serving the stations must be 

 under the Russian flag. 



The regulations governing the riv<'r districts vary from those re- 

 lating to coast concessions, and also vary from each other, as the 

 locak authorities in the river districts are authorized to issue tem- 

 porary rules and regulations to cover local conditions. 



On the Amur River, within the boundaries of the Nikolaevsk, 

 Maryinsk, and Khabarovsk districts, th<i fishing stations are leased 

 by public auction to the highest bidder, some on a long-term basis 

 and otlKTS for only one vear. At stations above the city of Nikola- 

 evsk, within 30 rniles of the Amur estuary and farther, no foreign 

 labor is allowed. Below the city of Nikolaevsk foreign labor can be 



