﻿CXVI 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  may 
  be 
  agreed 
  npou 
  to 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  this 
  inclosed 
  sea, 
  and 
  the 
  information 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  accomjilish 
  that 
  purpose 
  satisfactorily 
  could 
  readily 
  be 
  obtained. 
  

  

  (2) 
  lu 
  the 
  salt 
  waters 
  comprised 
  within 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Washington 
  we 
  see 
  no 
  reason 
  

   for 
  ijrohibiting 
  at 
  in'esent 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  kinds 
  of 
  apparatus 
  now 
  employed 
  there, 
  

   namely, 
  trap 
  nets, 
  purse 
  seines, 
  drag 
  seines, 
  reef 
  nets, 
  and 
  gill 
  nets, 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  

   sockeyc 
  catch 
  being 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  net 
  lirst 
  mentioned. 
  

  

  (3) 
  We 
  are 
  in 
  accord 
  with 
  the 
  Canadian 
  regulation 
  which 
  restricts 
  commercial 
  

   fishing 
  on 
  the 
  Eraser 
  River 
  and 
  off 
  its 
  mouths 
  to 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  drift 
  gill 
  nets, 
  and 
  

   recommend 
  that 
  the 
  rivers 
  in 
  Washington 
  be 
  subject 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  regulation. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Being 
  uncertain 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  contiguous 
  waters 
  in 
  question 
  in 
  

   respect 
  to 
  fishing 
  operations, 
  we 
  are 
  not 
  prejiared 
  to 
  suggest 
  a 
  direct 
  limitation 
  

   upon 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  apparatus 
  to 
  be 
  employed, 
  but 
  consider 
  that 
  the 
  present 
  require- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  the 
  case 
  will 
  be 
  met 
  by 
  the 
  restrictive 
  measures 
  which 
  follow. 
  

  

  (.5) 
  The 
  mesh 
  in 
  trap 
  nets 
  to 
  measure 
  in 
  extension 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  3 
  inches 
  in 
  the 
  

   crib 
  and 
  6 
  inches 
  in 
  the 
  leader 
  when 
  actually 
  in 
  use. 
  

  

  Trap-net 
  leaders 
  not 
  to 
  exceed 
  2,000 
  feet 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  Not 
  more 
  than 
  two 
  traps 
  to 
  be 
  placed 
  in 
  one 
  continuous 
  line, 
  and 
  when 
  so 
  arranged 
  

   to 
  be 
  separated 
  by 
  a 
  gap 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  100 
  feet 
  between 
  the 
  inner 
  crib 
  and 
  the 
  begin- 
  

   ning 
  of 
  the 
  outer 
  leader. 
  All 
  traps 
  or 
  strings 
  of 
  two 
  traps 
  to 
  be 
  separated 
  by 
  lateral 
  

   passageways 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  2,500 
  feet. 
  The 
  inner 
  end 
  of 
  all 
  trap-net 
  leaders 
  to 
  begin 
  in 
  

   a 
  depth 
  of 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  1 
  fathom 
  at 
  low 
  tide, 
  and 
  the 
  space 
  intervening 
  between 
  it 
  

   and 
  the 
  shore 
  to 
  remain 
  entirely 
  unobstructed. 
  

  

  All 
  trap-net 
  stakes 
  to 
  be 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  in 
  the 
  interest 
  of 
  navigation, 
  

   within 
  thirty 
  days 
  from 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  season. 
  

  

  (6) 
  Drift 
  gill 
  nets 
  not 
  to 
  exceed 
  150 
  fathoms 
  each 
  in 
  length. 
  

  

  The 
  drift 
  gill 
  nets 
  employed 
  for 
  taking 
  quinnat 
  salmon 
  to 
  have 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  

   7f-inch 
  mesh 
  extension 
  measure, 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  only 
  from 
  April 
  1 
  to 
  September 
  15. 
  

  

  The 
  drift 
  gill 
  nets 
  employed 
  for 
  taking 
  the 
  sockeye 
  and 
  other 
  smaller 
  species 
  of 
  

   salmon 
  to 
  have 
  not 
  less 
  than 
  5|-inch 
  mesh 
  extension 
  measure, 
  and 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  only 
  

   from 
  July 
  1 
  to 
  October 
  1. 
  

  

  All 
  drift 
  nets 
  when 
  in 
  use 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  at 
  least 
  250 
  yards 
  apart, 
  and 
  to 
  obstruct 
  not 
  

   more 
  than 
  one-third 
  of 
  the 
  width 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  (7) 
  We 
  are 
  not 
  prepared 
  to 
  suggest 
  any 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  dimensions 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  man- 
  

   ner 
  of 
  employing 
  drag 
  seines, 
  purse 
  seines, 
  and 
  reef 
  nets, 
  nor 
  do 
  we 
  consider 
  any 
  

   such 
  changes 
  essential 
  while 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  fishing 
  by 
  these 
  methods 
  remains 
  as 
  small 
  

   as 
  at 
  present. 
  

  

  (8) 
  It 
  is 
  recommended 
  that 
  in 
  all 
  rivers 
  commercial 
  fishing 
  with 
  nets 
  be 
  restricted 
  

   to 
  the 
  tidal 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  

  

  (9) 
  We 
  consider 
  it 
  very 
  important 
  tliat 
  the 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  toward 
  their 
  

   spawning-grounds 
  be 
  facilitated 
  by 
  weekly 
  close 
  times 
  of 
  thirty-six 
  hours' 
  duration, 
  

   which 
  we 
  suggest 
  extend 
  from 
  6 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  Saturday 
  to 
  6 
  p. 
  m. 
  on 
  Sunday 
  of 
  each 
  

   week 
  during 
  the 
  continuance 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  season. 
  

  

  (10) 
  We 
  also 
  recommend 
  an 
  annual 
  close 
  season, 
  extending 
  from 
  October 
  1 
  to 
  

   April 
  1 
  of 
  each 
  year, 
  duriug 
  which 
  all 
  net 
  fishing 
  shall 
  be 
  proliibited. 
  

  

  (11) 
  We 
  recommend 
  that 
  the 
  Indians 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  fish 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  by 
  their 
  cus- 
  

   tomary 
  methods, 
  except 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  drift 
  nets 
  and 
  spears 
  on 
  the 
  rivers 
  during 
  the 
  close 
  

   seasons, 
  during 
  which 
  periods, 
  moreover, 
  they 
  should 
  be 
  permitted 
  to 
  take 
  salmon 
  

   only 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  supplying 
  themselves 
  with 
  food, 
  and 
  not 
  for 
  sale 
  or 
  barter. 
  

  

  (12) 
  As 
  no 
  evidence 
  of 
  a 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  salmon 
  species 
  

   has 
  been 
  obtained, 
  we 
  do 
  not 
  feel 
  justified 
  in 
  recommending 
  joint 
  action 
  at 
  present 
  

   in 
  the 
  matter 
  of 
  their 
  artificial 
  x^ropagation. 
  While 
  we 
  feel 
  confident 
  that 
  the 
  

   natural 
  supply 
  can 
  best 
  be 
  maintained 
  by 
  early 
  compliance 
  with 
  suitable 
  protective 
  

   measures, 
  we 
  found 
  it 
  generally 
  admitted 
  that 
  the 
  eftorts 
  made 
  l)y 
  the 
  Canadian 
  

   Government 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  stock 
  of 
  sockeye 
  salmon 
  on 
  tlie 
  Eraser 
  River 
  by 
  fish- 
  

   cultural 
  methods 
  has 
  been 
  beneficial, 
  the 
  annual 
  run 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  being 
  made 
  more 
  

   constant 
  and 
  the 
  off 
  seasons 
  being 
  improved. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  growing 
  demand 
  for 
  

  

  