Bdbcock. — The Great Fraser River Fishery 239 



of a million cases for each small year, apparently the runs would still 

 have continued in their primitive abundance. 



During the following period of four years (1897, 1898, 1899, and 

 1900) the traps on Puget Sound became an important matter. While 

 the British Columbia pack shows little or no reduction, it was met by a 

 pack on Puget Sound which nearly equalled it. The total captures during 

 the three off-years of this cycle nearly doubled those of the preceding 

 years and exacted an average toll of about 10,000,000 fish from the 

 spawning run of those years. The total pack of the three small years 

 of this cycle was over 2,000,000 cases. 



The result was quickly apparent. If 5,000,000 fish could be safely 

 spared, this figure nevertheless must have been near the upper limit of 

 safety, for when 10,000,000 fish were abstracted, the small years of the 

 following cycle showed such a marked decline as to indicate that we had 

 far overstepped the line of safety. It was then during the cycle of 1897- 

 1900 that the first serious damage was done to the sockeye run of the 

 Fraser River. By doubling the pack of the three small years, not only 

 was the surplus fully taken, but the necessary spawning reserve was 

 seriously encroached on, with the result that in the small years of the 

 following cycle (1902, 1903, and 1904), in spite of the increased amount 

 of gear employed, the pack was cut in half, while the spawning beds at 

 the same time were but sparsely seeded. 



The inevitable and disastrous trend of events should have been 

 evident to the dullest. But the parties in interest refused to hold their 

 hands and proceeded with the slaughter of the spawning remnant. The 

 result was quickly apparent. In 1902, 1903, and 1904 the total sockeye 

 pack of the Fraser River system was cut to 1,200,000 cases, and in 

 succeeding years it has suffered still further reduction. The pack of the 

 three small years never again equalled 1,000,000 cases. In 1906-08 it 

 was 750,000 cases; 1910-12, 880,000 cases; in 1914-16, 796,000. And with 

 each year the amount of gear employed has increased by leaps and 

 bounds. The small years of the present cycle may be expected to 

 register a smaller total than any which have gone before. 



The total catch of sockeyes in the Fraser River system in 

 the past two small years of the present cycle demonstrates the 

 correctness of Dr. Gilbert's forecast. The catch of 1918 

 produced a pack of but 70,420 cases, as against 534,434 cases 

 in the preceding fourth year; and the catch in 1919 gave a pack 

 of but 98,414 cases, as against 155,714 cases in 1915. 



The evidence of the decline in the runs of sockeyes in the 

 Fraser River system is overwhelming. The runs in all years 

 have already become so depleted that it is evident that under 



