PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES. 105 
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 known, and means of transportation 
are increased and improved, there will doubtless be a tremendous 
impetus given to their development. 
FISHING DISTRICTS OF SIBERIA. 
The Amur fishing district is subdivided into four districts, as fol- 
lows: Nikolaievsk, Chnirahsky, Pronga, and Sakhalin. The first 
named consists of 22 fishing stations belonging to the municipality 
of Nikolaievsk and 35 to the Department of Domains. The shore line 
is about 230 miles. Next in importance is the Chnirahsky district, 
and this includes some very important and valuable fishing plants. 
In the Pronga district are also several good fishing plants. The 
Sakhalin Island district includes all the fisheries of Russian Sakhalin 
Island north of 50° north latitude. 
The fisheries of the Usuri River, a tributary of the Amur, are 
controlled almost entirely by the local peasants, cossacks, and 
natives, who, owing to the inadequate means of transportation, are 
able to market but a small part of their catch otherwise than amongst 
themselves. The same is true also of Lake Hinka. 
The Kamchatka region has had the most important development 
of recent years, and now comprises within its boundaries most of the 
salmon canneries of Siberia. There are about 187 fishing stations 
in this district, the vast majority of which are held by Japanese. 
The Anadir district is said to be richer in fish than the southern 
districts of eastern Siberia. The chief commercial fisheries are 
concentrated near the Anadir River. A considerable quantity of 
salmon is frozen in this district for export. 
FISHERY RIGHTS AND REGULATIONS. 
Along the entire seacoast of Siberia, by virtue of the Russo-Japa- 
nese convention of 1907, concluded for 12 years, the Japanese are 
permitted to engage in fishing on equal terms with Russians. In such 
sections there is no restriction with regard to the nationality of the 
laborers employed or the method of preparing the fish, except that 
the manufacture of fish manure from fish of the salmon variety is 
prohibited. On the face of it this convention looks like an equitable 
agreement, but in putting the Japanese on the same footing as the. 
Russians it subjected them to a lot of unstated and arbitrary laws, 
by-laws, and local regulations, besides making the tenure exceed- 
ingly short, virtually only one year, as a result of which J apanese 
capital refuses to erect more than the crudest of plants. 
