Fisli Culture In Inland Waters 273 



has already culminated in so serious a condition that unless radical 

 corrective measures are soon adopted the question will surely arise 

 as to whether in these instances, at least, fish culture has not proved 

 a curse rather than a benefit. For it certainly signifies the not very 

 remote extinction of the species concerned, and in time cannot but 

 involve all species continuously subjected to similar fish cultural 

 operations. 



In a foregoing paragraph pertaining to indiscriminate distribu- 

 tion of fishes, reference was made to unsatisfactory results from 

 the distribution and stocking with chinook and landlocked salmon. 

 A few years ago, to meet the objections of those who favored the 

 continuous planting of landlocked salmon rather than chinook salmon 

 in eastern fresh waters, the advocates of the latter fish claimed that 

 landlocked salmon eggs were not aA'ailable in sufficient quantities, 

 whereas the chinook eggs could be obtained in large quantities. 



Why couldn't landlocked salmon eggs be obtained in sufficient 

 quantities, since they had previously been plentiful enough to send 

 broadcast all over the country and to foreign countries for stock- 

 ing purposes? There can be but one answer, the failure of the 

 source of supply. It has already been noted that in 1919 chinook 

 salmon hatching and planting was abandoned because of inability to 

 get their eggs in sufficient quantities. The reason is evident, namely, 

 the decline at the source of supply in the Pacific Coast rivers. 



This is a case where the combined natural and fish cultural pro- 

 duction is out of proportion with the take by the fisheries, so 

 retrenchment in ^gg distribution becomes necessary in an effort to 

 make up the deficiency caused by the fisheries. 



The original sources of supply of landlocked salmon eggs were 

 limited in extent and the stock of fish was consequently also limited. 

 But compared with the fisheries the fish were relatively abundant, 

 and provided a supply of eggs and young fish which were ^^^dely dis- 

 tributed, as previously stated, but at the same time a certain propor- 

 tion of the products of fish cultural propagation were returned to 

 the waters from which thev were obtained. This proportion was 

 regarded as suffxcient to maintain the stock, the view being based 

 upon the unproved opinion that it was in excess of the number 

 which would have reached the age at which the fish were planted, 

 had they been hatched under natural conditions. 



Notwithstanding the " liberal '" return to the native waters, there 

 has been a continuous though fluctuating decline for some years, 

 and as previously indicated, curtailment of ^gg shipments became 

 necessary a number of years ago, and at the present time it seems 

 that very few if any landlocked salmon eggs are permitted to go out 

 of Maine. Yet the indiscriminate distribution is said to be con- 

 tinued within that State, notwithstanding the fact that the original 

 sources of supply appear to be failing and the great majority- of 

 other waters stocked are evident failures. Outside of Alaine there 

 are practically no landlocked salmon waters left of those so inten- 

 sively stocked in past years, and absolutely none remains with a 

 self-sustaining stock. 



