REPORT. 



To His Excellency, William Irwin, Governor of California : 



The Commissioners of Fisheries for the State of California, appointed 

 under an Act of the Legislature, entitled "An Act to provide for the 

 restoration and preservation of fish in the waters of the State," 

 approved April 2d, 1870, respectfully submit their fifth biennial 

 report. 



We have to report an increasing public interest in fish culture and 

 in the efi'orts of your Commissioners to continue the supply of valu- 

 able food fish in our waters. The destruction of fish during their 

 seasons of reproduction, in defiance of law, once thought to be but a 

 venial legal offense, is beginning to be considered a serious crime. 

 As population increases, and railroads and other means of transpor- 

 tation are extended, there is a larger demand for fish ; this is met by 

 an increase in the numbers of fishermen, by extending the area of 

 the fishing grounds, and by improved processes of capture. 



SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS QUINNAT). 



One-half of the annual appropriation placed at the disposal of your 

 Commissioners is expended in the hatching of salmon eggs and plac- 

 ing the young fry in the tributaries of the Sacramento River. From 

 the organization of your Commission, and including the year 1879, 

 we have had hatched and turned into the Sacramento River 13,150,- 

 000 young salmon ; these, added to the natural suppl}^ have been 

 sufficient to make them as numerous in the river, during their 

 seasons, as they have been at any time since so large an area of their 

 spawning beds was destroyed by the operations of mining. Since 

 our last report three additional establishments for the canning of 

 salmon have been in operation on the Sacramento. If these estab- 

 lishments are to increase in numbers, with the consequent increase 

 in the numbers of fishermen, boats, and nets, the supply of salmon 

 cannot be kept up unless we add to the 2,500,000 of young salmon 

 now annually placed in the river. To do this the appropriation 

 must be increased, or we must abandon all other efforts at adding to 

 the food fish of the State, and expend the whole appropriation in 

 increasing the numbers of salmon. This last course would be unjust 

 to large, important, and increasing interests in the State, and would 

 be a violation of the intent of the law in creating the Commission. 

 If there could be a faithful observance of the law that prohibits the 

 catching of salmon during the close season ; if the fish could have 

 the river free from nets during these six weeks, and be allowed in 

 peace to reach their spawning grounds, there would be no necessity 

 for an increased appropriation, even if canning establishments were 

 doubled and fishermen multiplied in the same proportion. During 

 the close season, August 1st to September 15th, no salmon were pub- 



2(,-^G-Cai^Z^-i^-^'-^. 



