Fish Culture in Inland Waters 2"/ 5 



thought that the problem of salmon fishing was solved by the intro- 

 duction of chinook salmon. This venture failed. Then it was 

 proposed to take a chance with Canadian sea salmon. 



How inconsistent such measures seem, when it is seen that years 

 of fish cultural operations on original waters failed to maintain the 

 stock! If fish culture could not accomplish that with an indigenous 

 species under conditions naturally favorable to the fish, how could 

 it be expected from the introduction of non-indigenous forms the 

 habitats and natural habits of which are so different from the land- 

 locked salmon? 



If a self-sustaining stock had been produced, as it might have 

 been, in certain places, and had the matter received proper scientific 

 attention, there would now be no stocking problem. As the situa- 

 tion now appears to be, the source of the &gg supply bids fair to 

 be exhausted and there is no effort made to prevent it. So in all 

 cases where adequate breeding and food conditions do not exist, tem- 

 porary successful introduction is marked for failure as concerns 

 some of our most esteemed game fishes. 



The egg supply of the chinook has practically failed ; the supply 

 of landlocked salmon eggs is nearing complete failure; steelhead 

 eggs will ultimately fail at the source unless preventive measures 

 are early put in force. The same may be said of the Canadian sea 

 salmon. The " rainbow trout " is in almost immediate danger. 

 This form will be discussed more in detail later. Even now much 

 of State and Federal brook trout culture is largely dependent upon 

 private trout breeders for the egg supply. 



There is but one preventive remedy, but it is a comprehensive 

 one. The first step is to cease to rob Peter in order to pay Paul, 

 and another is to make scientific investigations, taking into con- 

 sideration every factor concerned. 



The third proposition, however, may apply to waters having 

 limited spawning places, but otherwise capable of supporting more 

 fish than the natural breeding would supply. In such instances, 

 annual plants of young fish may be made to help maintain the stock 

 to a satisfactory point of production, that is, satisfactory fishing, if 

 properly regulated. Such situations are probably the most common 

 today. 



Some rather commonly observed facts in connection with waters 

 which previously have been naturally or artificially stocked are 

 those of deterioration in size and decrease in number. Such observa- 

 tions may be classified somewhat as follows : 



1. Decrease both in size and number. 



2. Decrease in size but not in number. 



3. Decrease in size and increase in numher 



4. Decrease in number but no decrease in size. 



5. Decrease in number arid increase in size of those remaining. 



When one or another of these phenomena has been observed, very 

 often the opinion of scientific authorities has been sought. Not 

 infrequently, however, the cases have been diagnosed by the 



