REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 39 



article of food for the people — a cheap and plentiful supply of wholesome 

 food — is of immense importance. The waters of California are almost 

 unlimited in their capacity to produce fish food, but wanton destruction 

 of fishes when they congregate at certain seasons of the year for breed- 

 ing purposes, and the increasing demand on them to supply an increas- 

 ing population with food, will soon largely diminish their numbers 

 unless assistance is rendered by artificial reproduction on a greater scale 

 than is being done at present. 



When live stock is owned by private parties it is to their individual 

 interest that the best care be taken of it to the end that it may make 

 the most remunerative returns. But the fish which the waters of our 

 State produce are the common property of the whole people, and it is 

 not the duty of any one individual to see that the fish interests are 

 cherished. 



AN ANNUAL APPROPRIATION OF TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS NECESSARY. 



It follows that it is the duty of the Legislature to appropriate ade- 

 quate funds to meet the expenses incurred in carrying out the work 

 necessary to such an important trust. 



This work embraces the artificial reproduction and distribution of 

 young salmon upon their nursery grounds to keep up the supply to meet 

 the immense draft upon their numbers as they annually migrate as 

 mature salmon from the ocean to their spawning grounds, by the fisher- 

 men's many miles of network and seines, catching them to supply can- 

 ners and the local markets. 



If this work is not kept up from year to year, it is certain that their 

 number will be diminished, and in time salmon will become as great a 

 rarity in California as they are to-day in New England. 



The artificial reproduction and distribution of trout over this State to 

 satisfy the increasing number of applications for these fishes to supply 

 the depleted streams which our growing population in their search for 

 health and recreation exhaust, it is far beyond the unaided powers of 

 trout to keep the streams well stocked; and as far as the present appro- 

 priation for this costly work goes, it is only a make-believe towards 

 accomplishing what the real work should. 



It would be most desirable to continue the purchase of the eggs of 

 the Eastern Brook trout — that pride of the trans-mountain angler — for 

 their introduction into the headwaters of all our high mountain streams, 

 where it has been demonstrated they have done well in the past, and it 

 is but reasonable to suppose that as they become acclimated they will 

 gradually descend the rivers and spread themselves over the whole 

 State. 



The Black bass is such a desirable fish that, as we already have 

 them, it would be a public benefit to systematically distribute them 

 into all the suitable waters of the State. When once planted they 

 become permanent " settlers," no restocking is necessary, and it would 

 be well to do this work quickly. 



I would recommend the introduction of the eel, which is highly 

 esteemed in the East and in Europe; in fact, it is considered a luxury, 

 and is preferred by many to the trout. The flesh of the eel salted, 

 smoked, and pickled, forms quite an article of trade, and will in time 

 aftbrd a large addition to the food for the people. 



