892 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



1st November, 1874, to 1st August, 1876 ; and from 1st November, 1876, 

 to 1st August, 1877. They do not include the catch of the fisheries at 

 Tehama or near the mouth of the Feather Eiver, nor do they inckide the 

 fish taken on the upper waters of the Sacramento and San Joaquin, nor 

 the salmon brought to market by fishermen in their own boats ; there- 

 fore, to the totals should be added, at least, 25 i^er cent., to show an 

 api^roximation of the actual catch. 



12. In our last report, after adding 25 per cent, to the statements of 

 the catch which we obtained, we showed the total weight as transported 

 from the same places, from 1st November, 1874, to 1st August, 1875, 

 to be 5,098,781 pounds. Adding the same percentage to the totals in 

 the above tables, and they show the catch from 1st November, 1875, to 

 1st August, 187G,to be 5,311,423 pounds; and from 1st November, 1876, 

 to 1st August, 1877, 6,493,563 pounds. 



13. This shows a gain of more than a million pounds in the legal 

 catch over any year since the organization of the commission, and may 

 be ascribed to the fact that our waters are now beginning to feel the 

 beneficial effects of the millions of salmon hatched artifici.illy and turned 

 into the headwaters. We have no means of ascertaining the weight of 

 fish taken out of season, but estimate that between 1st August and 1st 

 November of this year, not less than 2,000,000 pounds were taken in 

 defiance of law. 



CLOSE SEASON FOE SALMON. 



14. We are informed that a determined effot will be made to induce 

 the legislature to alter the time of the close season, so that fishing for 

 salmon may be permitted in August and September, and that the close 

 season may be changed from these months to July. With this objeet 

 in view, it is reported that the proprietors of the present "canneries," 

 and caj)italists, who have in contemjilation the construction of other 

 " canneries," have been obtaining the evidence of fishermen, to present 

 to the legislature to show that July is the proper month when fishing 

 should not be permitted. 



15. As we have shown, in Jidy the spring run of fish has about 

 ceased and the fall run but commencing. It is one of the months when 

 fish are most scarce. To permit unlimited fishing during all the months 

 in the year except July, would have the efl'ect of exhausting our rivers 

 of salmon within ten years. It is a simj)le i^roposition that if some of 

 the ripe fish are not permitted to reach their spawning-grounds, they 

 cannot reproduce naturally, neither can the United States nor the State 

 obtain eggs from which to restock the river by artificial hatching. One 

 of the fishermen who was approached with the object of obtaining his 

 testimony in favor of a change to July, wrote to the commissioners, 30th 

 September, as foUows : " The close season should never, on any possible 

 pretense or persuasion, be pressed outside the months of August and 

 September to give opportunity for fishing in those months. Eight there 



