668 



fii'st chance to catch the fish as they pass through Puget Sound to 

 approach the Fraser River mouth. 



After intensive investigation it has been conclusively shown that 

 the terrific rush and surge of water at Hell's Gate Canyon is largely 

 responsible for failure of the salmon run to recover its former magni- 

 tude. Furthermore, the Commission finds that construction of so- 

 called fish-ladders at this point will largely eliminate the difficulty. 

 Some lesser obstructions also should be eliminated. 



The Treaty requires the Commission to recommend to the two 

 Governments the removal of obstructions. Accordingly the Com- 

 mission herewith submits a biological report showing the necessity 

 for action, an engineering report showing the action required, and a 

 request for two million dollars with which to accomplish the desired 

 result. 



Respectfully submitted, 



International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission 

 By 



"Edward W. Allen" 



Chairman. 

 "A. J. Whitmore" 



Secretary. 

 Honourable Ernest Bertrand, K.C, P.C, 

 Minister of FisheHes, 

 Ottawa, 



RECOMMENDATION OF INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC SALMON FISHERIES 

 COMMISSION FOR OVERCOMNG OBSTRUCTONS TO THE ASCENT OF 

 SOCKEYE SALMON, PURSUANT TO TERMS OF A TREATY BETWEEN 

 CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES 



The International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission was created 

 for the purpose of rehabilitating a Pacific Coast salmon run known as 

 the sockeye salmon of the Fraser River. In its largest year this run 

 produced almost a quarter of a billion pounds of finest quality canned 

 salmon which at present prices would have a value of more than forty 

 million dollars. An eighth of that amoimt is now considered a good 

 pack. 



Among causes suggested for this great decline were need for inter- 

 national regulation and damage to the runs by blasting of rocks and 

 by rock slides during railroad construction in the narrow gorge of the 

 Fraser River, up which the fish must ascend to reach their spawning 

 grounds. The first function of the Commission was to determine what 

 were the actual causes, next to suggest remedies, and after eight j^eais 

 to regulate the catch. 



Sockeye salmon normally spawn in late summer or fall in gravel 

 beds in streams 'which are near lakes, or in the lakes themselves in the 

 upper Fraser River drainage area, some 90,000 square miles in extent. 

 The eggs hatch in early spring, and the young usually spend a year in 

 lakes, then go down to sea and when four yeai^ old return to the very 

 stream in which they were born, then in turn to spawn and die. The 

 production of each stream therefore depends upon the run to that 

 stream four years before. In a big river system like the Fraser with 

 its numerous feeder streams there are therefore many separate runs 

 each year. These may occur at different times during a season, though 

 in fact there is much overlapping of such runs. 



