338 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the practices of the Indians and those of the modern fishermen, however, 

 the difference is very great, and it is with the latter that we have now 

 to deal.* 



Commercial fishing for salmon has become extensive in this region 

 only within a comparatively short period, but while in Canada it has 

 been practically restricted to drift- netting, in Washington nearly every 

 form of apparatus known to be adapted to the purpose has already 

 come into use. Trap nets were the latest to be introduced, but are now 

 recognized as the most effective kind in salt water. Purse seines came 

 next before the traps, and are probably to be considered as only second 

 to them in importance. Still older are the drag seines and gill nets, 

 the latter emj^loyed in both the salt and fresh water. Hook-and-line 

 fishing is oue of the minor salt-water methods, applicable only to the 

 capture of the quinnat and silver salmon, but much of the local supply 

 during some seasons is obtained by this means. 



The Indians still use their reef nets along the route of the sockeye, 

 and their spears and dip nets in the upper river courses, where at times 

 they also build a small and rude form of weir. Wheels have been tried 

 in oue place, but they seem unlikely to gain a foothold here. While 

 in principle there can be no objection to the employment of all the 

 legitimate forms of apparatus, the Canadian system has the greater 

 advantage from the standpoint of protection, in that a much simpler 

 code of regulations suffices. It is to be borne in mind, however, that the 

 Washington fishery is prosecuted under greater diversity of conditions, 

 and to restrict it along a single line would mean its curtailment many 

 fold, an extreme measure which would not be justifiable. 



* Since this paper was prepared we have received a copy of the report of the State 

 fish commissioner of Washington for 1898, from which are taken the following 

 extracts regarding the salmon fishery for 1898 and the supposed evidences of a 

 decrease in certain streams. Should the statements concerning decreases ))e well 

 founded the necessity for decisive action by the authorities of Washington is more 

 pressing than the evidence in the possession of the writer had led him to suppose: 



"The report from the district of Puget Sound shows a still more marked decrease 

 in the output in the salmon fisheries than does that of the Columbia River. The 

 enormous run of Eraser River salmon during the season of 1897 increased the 

 annual output of this district to a remarkable- degree. * " * The run of other 

 classes of salmon for the season of 1897, with the exception of the Eraser River 

 fish, was not materially larger than in former years. The decrease in the output of 

 the past season is entirely in the early runs of salmon. The fall varieties show an 

 increased catch over the year 1897. The increased fall output was largely due to 

 the shortage of the spring catch and energetic work on the part of the fishermen 

 and canneries to make up for the spring shortage by a large pack of the fall 

 varieties. * * * The numerous streams tributary to Puget Sound have in years 

 gone by teemed with what seemed to be an inexhaustible supply of salmon, and 

 while in a number of these streams the supply does not seem to have diminished 

 materially, in many of them there has been a wonderful decline, so much so that 

 complaints during this season, and even during the season of 1897, when there was 

 a phenomenal run of sockeye salmon on the sound, have come to us from different 

 localities in which a great decrease of the run of fish on certain streams has been 

 noted. During the season we have examined some 14 different rivers tributary to 

 the sound, with a view to better understanding the conditions prevailing with regard 

 to the run of fish, and also for locations available for the establishment of hatcheries. 

 In every instance, from the people and fishermen living along the streams, has come 

 the complaint of remarkable decrease in the run of salmon. While this may be 

 attribiited to some extent to an off year, yet we find that daring the season of 1897 

 very much the same conditions prevailed in many localities." 



