390 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



derived from the fishery, and the amounts that may be earned by 

 less favored though not less industrious individuals seem almost neg- 

 ligible by contrast. This has long been a bone of contention among 

 the Indians on the river. 



As a remedy for the present faulty system of managing the fishery 

 it has been suggested that all fishing operations should be conducted 

 at the weir. The following are some of the advantages that might 

 reasonably be expected to accrue from such a procedure: 



1 . It would be possible to provide for an equal division of the pro- 

 ceeds of the fishing among the Indians now holding fishing rights on 

 the river. 



2. The Indians would be put to no expense for the purchase of nets 

 or other appliances. 



3. The waste resulting from the present gill-net fishery would be 

 eliminated. Appreciable numbers of fish are annually enmeshed 

 which subsequently escape from the nets, but they are so seriously 

 abraded from their struggles that death ensues before spawning occurs. 



4. A certain predetermined percentage of each seasons's run would 

 be assured entrance to the lake and the adjacent spawning areas. 



5. The largest fish could be permitted to pass into the lake as 

 potential breeders, to the quite probable improvement of future gen- 

 erations of sockeye salmon. Under the present regulations govern- 

 ing the type of nets that may be used, it is in the main the larger fish 

 that are captured and the smaller ones that escape. 



6. The considerable numbers of immature male fish that accompany 

 the annual runs could be marketed and the profits distributed among 

 the Indians. Apparently such fish are of no value as breeders. 



The propagation work during the year was limited to the collection 

 of 13,000,000 sockeye-salmon eggs and the development of the product, 

 this number having. been previously determined upon as adequate to 

 meet distribution requirements and produce the number of fry that 

 could be properly reared with available facilities. The eggs were 

 obtained without difliculty from the customary spawning areas, and 

 after developing them to the eyed stage, two shipments were made, 

 one consignment of 25,000 being forwarded to the bureau's station at 

 Clackamas, Oreg., and one of 3,120,000 to the Oregon Fish Com- 

 mission, at Enterprise, Oreg. The remainder were successfully in- 

 cubated, and the resulting fr)'- and fingerling fish were carried 

 through to the distribution period in excellent condition, there being 

 only one period of heavy loss. This was occasioned by a mishap on 

 the night of April 16, when the head gate in the main water-supply 

 flume was closed in some unknown manner, either through careless- 

 ness or possibly with malicious intent. Fortunately the trouble was 

 discovered and remedied shortly after midnight, and a real disaster 

 was narrowly averted. Under the conditions the hatchery was with- 

 out water long enough to cause some mortaUty, the fry on trays 

 suffering the heaviest loss. 



There appeared to be a very good run of silver salmon and also of 

 the chinook salmon in Quinault Lake, but no attempt was made to 

 collect eggs of either of these species. Because of the entire absence 

 of male fish the preparations made for the collection of steelhead- 

 salmon eggs were without result, and considerable numbers of female 

 fish in spawning condition had to be released from the retaining 

 inclosure without stripping. 



