THE FRASER RIVER SALMON SITUATION. 



the industry was at its height, the catch of sockeye in Canadian waters 

 produced a pack of 5,030,730 cases. During the same period the catch 

 in American waters gave a pack of 7,382,343 cases. A combined total 

 pack of 12,413,073 cases, of which the Canadians produced 40 per 

 cent, and the Americans 60 per cent. 



(3.) Dr. C. H. Gilbert, of Stanford University, in his " Contribu- 

 tions to the Life-history of the Sockeye " (see British Columbia 

 Fisheries Reports, 1913 to 1918), has demonstrated by scale-reading 

 that the sockeye that run in the Fraser River system are hatched in 

 the watershed of that river in British Columbia, live for the first year 

 or more of their lives in its lake waters, then migrate to the sea, 

 where they remain and grow until the summer of their fourth year, 

 and then seek to return to the Fraser River basin in order to spawn, 

 and after spawning die.* Dr. Gilbert's findings are unquestioned by 

 any authority. 



(4.) The Fraser River basin formerly produced more sockeye 

 salmon every fourth year known as the " big year " than any other 

 known river-basin, and even in the following years known as the 

 " small yeass " produced runs of commercial importance. 



* There are, however, exceptional cases in which fish proceed to sea 

 immediately on hatching, and there are certain proportions which return 

 in their third and fifth year. 



