Appendix B. 



COMMUNICATIONS FROM COMMISSIONER MARSHALL McDONALD. 



Washington, D. G., January 28, 1889. 



Sir: I bare the lionor to transmit herewith, for the information of 

 your committee, a copy of certain statements in regard to the conditions 

 under which tne salmon iisheries of Alaska are now being prosecuted, 

 the same having been transmitted to me by Mr. Bedding, commissioner 

 of fisheries for California. 



I beg to suggest to your honorable committee that prompt measures 

 are necessary upon the part of the Government to i)lace the salmon 

 fisheries of the Alaskan region under such couditious as will insure 

 their permanence. To prevent the ascent of the salmon to their spawn- 

 ing grounds will certainly result in a few years in the destruction of 

 this valuable fishery. The erection of dams or barricades across the 

 rivers, and the use of fixed contrivances for the capture of salmon in 

 the rivers should be prohibited by law, under sufficient penalties actively 

 and stringently enforced. 



I respectfully transmit herewith memorandum of such legislation as 

 appears necessary to provide for present emergencies, and will lay the 

 foundation for such additional legislation as may be necessary to place 

 the salmon fisheries of Alaska under permanent and regular condit^ions 

 of production. 



1 have the honor to be, very rcs])ectfully, 



Marshall AIcDonald, 



Commissioner. 



Hon. POINDEXTER DUNN, 



Chairman House Committee on Fisheries. 



The streams on the eastern shore of the Aliaska Peninsula and the 

 large islands, especially Kodiak and Afopuak, are all small, running 

 from lakes which are the objective point of the salmon for spawning pur- 

 poses. These streams are in some cases mere rivulets where they empty 

 into the ocean at low tide, and the largest 200 to 300 feet in width, with 

 but 1 to 3 feet of water when the tide is out. We are told the salmon 

 return to the place where they were spawned, and having arrived at 

 maturity at sea, seek their native water, there to spawn and die. 



This i)ast season parties on the Karluk Kiver, on Kodiak Island, con- 

 ceived the idea of putting up a tight dam, merely using stakes and wire 

 netting, intending no doubt to take what fish they required and allow 

 the remainder to pass up to the lake, but no less than four other canneries 

 started for the same place; consequently, to supply all, the river was 

 closed from in May to October, the fish surging back and forward with 

 xxxtv 



