14 



In our last report, after adding twenty-five per cent, to the state- 

 ments of tlie catch which we obtained, we showed the total weight as 

 transported from tlie same places, from November first, eigliteen 

 hundred and seventy-four, to August, first, eighteen hundred and 

 seventy-five, to be five million ninety-eight thousand seven hun- 

 dred and eighty-one pounds. Adding the same percentage to the 

 totals in the above taljles, and they show the catch from November 

 first, eighteen hundred and seventv-five to August first, eighteen 

 hundred and seventy-six, to be five million three hundred and 

 eleven thousand four hundred and twenty-three pounds, and from 

 November first, eighteen hundred and seventy-six, to August first, 

 eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, six million four hundred and 

 ninety-three thousand five hundred and sixty-three pounds. 



This shows a gain of more than a million of 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 arti- 

 ficially and turned into the headwaters. We have no means of 

 ascertaining the weight of fish taken out of season, but estimate that 

 between August first and November first of this year, not less than 

 two million pounds were taken in defiance of law. 



CLOSE SEASON FOR SALMON. 



We are informed that a determined effort 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 

 object in view, it is reported that the proprietors of the present " can- 

 neries " and capitalists, who have in contemplation 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. 



As we have shown, in July 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 effect of exhausting 

 our rivers of salmon within ten years. It is a simple proposition 

 that if some of the ripe fish are not permitted to reach their spawn- 

 ing 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 September thirtieth, as follows: "The 

 close season should never, on any possible pretense or persuasion, be 

 pressed outside the months of August and September to give oppor- 

 tunity for fishing in those months. Right there is the life of the 

 matter. The regularity, the multitudes and urgency of the seed run, 

 the consequent ease and certainty of the catch, the fine weather for 

 work, all present a weighty temptation to both catcher and canner." 

 The object of a close season is, that some of the fish may be permitted 

 to reach the headwaters to spawn. If they are not allowed to do so 

 the race will soon be extinct. Cupidity and desire for immediate 

 profit should not be permitted to influence legislation with the ulti- 



