Conservation in 1918 



BY 



James White, F.R.G.S., M.E.I.C. 

 Assistant to Chairman, Deputy Head, Commission of Conservation 



GENTLEMEN: Before presenting the Annual Review of the 

 work of the Commission of Conservation during 1918, I 

 desire to read a letter from Mr. Babcock, our Commissioner 

 in British Columbia. We had hoped to have a paper by Mr. Bab- 

 cock with respect to fishery' conditions in British Columbia, particu- 

 larly with reference to salmon. Mr. Babcock says: — 



"I am just getting around after an attack of influenza, hence 

 my failure to reply to your notes. I shall be unable to attend the 

 Annual Meeting, and I take it it is now too late to supply you with 

 data as to fishery conditions in this province." 



"I may say that the pack of salmon is the largest on record, 

 due entirely to the increase from, and the utilization of, the autumn 

 grades of fish, which have only recently come into demand. The 

 run to the Eraser was very much the smallest ever known. The river 

 may be said to be fished out of sockeye, and the run of pink salmon, 

 which was not used previous to the war, is fast disappearing."* 



Unfortunately, this is an exact fulfilment of the prediction that 

 Mr. Babcock made when he addressed us at our last annual meeting. 



You will learn with much regret that, owing to ill health, your 

 confrere. Dr. Femow, is unable to attend the meeting. He has writ- 

 ten expressing his regret, and has requested that his letter be read 

 to the meeting. It is as follows: 



3 February, 1919 



In answer to your announcement of the meeting of the Commis- 

 sion, I regret to say that my physical condition will forbid my 

 attending the meeting. 



As I wrote you some months ago, I intended to discuss in a 

 summary way the difficulties, silvicultural, economic and political, 

 in developing forestry methods in Canada, and I would have taken 

 advantage of the opportunity to congratulate the Commission 



•The formation of an International Commission consisting of two members each repre- 

 senting Canada and the United States is provided for in the draft of a proposed treaty between the 

 two countries, governing the sockeye fishing industry in the Fraser river in the Dominion, and the 

 lower portion of the strait of Georgia and Juan de Fuca strait, in the state of Washington. The 

 Commission it is proposed to establish would conduct an inquiry into the life histor>' of the sockeye 

 salmon hatchery methods, spawning grounds and other matters affecting the industry-. The Com- 

 mission will be empowered to recommend modifications of the existing regulations under the terms 

 of the draft treaty. The treaty is aimed to prevent the depiction of the sockeye fisliing industry'. 

 The limiting of the number of licenses is one of the measures suggested to prevent the extinction of 

 the sockeye salmon in these waters. It is projxjsed to limit the licenses to resident Can.jdi.in3 in 

 British Columbia or to companies licensed to do business in that Province. The s;»me coniliiion 

 would be imposed in Washington by limiting licenses to American citizens or authorized companies. 



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