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to enforce the protection of fish. From the nature of 

 our laws, the United States cannot protect fish ex- 

 cept in national waters. P'ishery regulations are in 

 the hands of the States and the State Fish Com- 

 missions combine with their lishcultural operations the 

 equally important duty of fish protection. I believe 

 the time is coming when the States will accomplish their 

 object and regulate their fisheries in such a manner as 

 to give proper protection to the fish. 



What do we see in many centers of active fishery ? 

 There are laws, it is true, which are sometimes properly 

 enforced, but in other localities there is no provision 

 for enforcing them. This is particularly true of 

 Alaska. The only thing which saves the salmon of 

 Alaska, the most valuable fish in the Territory, is a law 

 of commerce — the law of supply and demand. There 

 are fish enough to last for years to come ; there are 

 perhaps as many as there were fifteen years ago, when 

 I first studied the fisheries. Independently of the laws 

 regulating the capture of salmon, for the enforcement 

 of which there is no adequate provision, the law of 

 supply and demand offers temporary protection for the 

 fish. The canners must sell their wares. If they could 

 sell all they can get they would take them without 

 hesitation. Some of them have dammed the rivers, 

 contrary to law, so that the fish cannot get up to their 

 spawning grounds ; but inability to market an over 

 supply is now the only efficient safeguard of the 

 salmon. 



To return to the United States Fish Commission. 

 The annual cost of the propagation and distribution of 

 fish and maintenance of stations is about $200,000. 

 The work in constantly growing ; the demand for fish 

 is increasing, but the appropriations for the past two 

 years have been at a standstill. The Commissioners 

 of the States, when their work is enlarq-ed, uroe their 



