98 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
the head of lakes, the spawning grounds of the red salmon will be 
destroyed. The destruction of the forests above the spawning grounds 
would be almost fatal to the salmon in the streams concerned. It is, 
in fact, very important for the salmon industry in southeast Alaska 
that the government reserve from settlement the catchment basin of 
every red-salmon stream—at least every red-salmon stream suitable for . 
hatching purposes, thus protecting them from loss of timber, from 
sawdust, from placer mining, and from pollution from oil wells. 
Another form of protection would be the shortening of the fishing 
season, or making the catch more costly, thus limiting it. Either of 
these means would be legitimate, and without hatcheries both will be 
found necessary. 
The recommendations of the salmon commission are on the basis of 
maintaining a permanent industry. The government should not per- 
mit private citizens or corporations to destroy future industries for 
the sake of present gains. It is true that the streams of Alaska, 
unless injured by mining or lumbering operations, will retain their 
present character; they can be repopulated when exhausted, and a 
fishery industry once crippled or destroyed can be restored; but it is 
far more economical to prevent such destruction, and the government 
~ should consider nothing short of it. 
The key to the whole question of the future of the Alaska salmon 
industry is artificial propagation of the red salmon. Under natural 
conditions the eggs must remain on the spawning beds many weeks, 
or even months, before hatching, and both they and the fry are attacked 
by the Dolly Varden trout, sculpins, sticklebacks, and various other 
enemies, including fungoid diseases. The Dolly Varden trout, which 
swarms wherever salmon eggs or fry are found, is perhaps the most 
persistent and destructive. The fish duck also does much damage. 
So many are the dangers which beset the young salmon that it is 
doubtful whether one in a hundred, or even one in a thousand, lives 
to maturity. By artificial propagation practically all of these dangers 
are eliminated. Almost every egg can be fertilized, the danger of 
disease can be greatly reduced, all the enemies that feed upon the eggs 
and fry can be eliminated, and a vastly larger proportion will reach 
maturity. 
The special commission strongly recommends the prompt establish- 
ment of at least four salmon hatcheries in Alaska—two in southeast 
Alaska, one at Afognak Island and one in the Bristol Bay region. These 
stations should be well equipped in every way for handling 40,000,000 
to 50,000,000 eggs each. 
Every salmon hatchery in Alaska will require a trained and compe- 
tent manager or superintendent. One who has learned the business 
by rule of thumb will not answer; still less one who has not learned 
