248 Appendices to Twenty-ninth Annual Report 



The following were the numbers of fry liberated each year : — 



Year. 







1893 



Fry liberated, 



600,000. 



1894 





2,204,000. 



1895 



• • 3? 



5,291,000. 



1896 



• • ?J 



5,475,000. 



1897 



• • n 



4,390,000. 



1898 



• • ?> 



2.526,000. 



1899 



• • 5? 



2.050,000. 



1900 



• • 5? 



2^335,000. 



1901 



• • JJ 





1902 



• • ?; 



5,500,000. 



1903 



• • ?3 



5,000,000. 



1904 



• • 1) 



5,000.000. 



1905 



• • ?) 



5,250,000. 



1906 





6,500,000. 



i am indebted to Mr. Marsh, the Alaska Salmon Agent, for the figures 

 showing the numbers of fry. At the same time he informed me that 

 there is no definite evidence to show that any fishing operations in the 

 neighbourhood intercepted the run of fish to the river, and thus vitiated 

 the results of Mr. Callbreath's operations. 



The numbers of fry dealt with are considerably greater than the product 

 of any salmon hatchery in our country, yet it will be noticed that the 

 return of red salmon to the river during 1 7 years of special effort to secure 

 only this species shows no very great encouragement, or argument in 

 favour of artificial methods of this kind. 



Reports from District Fishery Boards. 



I have received reports from 31 District Boards, which list includes all 

 the districts on the East Coast except the Beauly, and the Helmsdale and 

 Brora in Sutherland. On the West Coast, the small districts of Sutherland 

 and Ross, and those also in Inverness-shire, where no Boards have ever 

 been formed, do not have the machineiy for answering the questions 

 addressed to the larger and more important areas. 



With regard to the take of fish, an approximate estimate of the number 

 is given from several districts, but in the great majority of cases the Clerks 

 and Superintendents of Boards are unable to procure any figures from the 

 tacksmen and others. This condition only legislation can obviate. 



With regard to rentals of districts as a gauge of condition, I may say 

 that the total for the 31 districts concerning which I have reports is 

 ^121,373. This figure is practically the same as the corresponding figure 

 for last year. Taking the price per pound for salmon at the low average 

 of Is. 6d., the weight of salmon sent to market last season represents a 

 sum of practically ^314,000. 



The I'eports fiom District Fishery Boards, in as condensed a form as 

 possible, form Appendix 0. 



W. L. C ALDER WOOD. 



