BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION, 57 
I 17.— CAUSES ©F THE DECBMSE ©F SALMON IN THE SACRAMENTO 
RIVER. 
By JOSEPH I)» EEDDINC}. 
The failure in the salmon catch of the Sacramento Eiver during the 
last four years arises from several causes. First of all, the river has 
for years been filling up with debris coming down from the hydraulic 
mining. This has choked up many of the little streams up which sal- 
mon formerly went for the purpose of spawning, and has also fouled 
the river generally. The Sacramento Eiver is a filthy stream. One 
effect of the debris also has been to cause the Sacramento to overflow 
its banks and spread over the surrounding plains, thereby causing a 
I heavy growth of tules. The water recedes very quickly, and I have 
myself seen acres of young fish left high and dry entangled in these 
weeds. Farmers use the fish thus stranded for manuring purposes. 
The second cause is the general violation of the fish law by the Italian 
and Greek fishermen, and the failure properly to prosecute them under 
this law. These fishermen catch everything, young and old, and sell 
the young to the Chinese who ship them to China. It requires a police 
patrol up and down the river constantly to prevent these marauders 
from capturing every fish that comes into the harbor. I am glad to 
say, however, that the strenuous efforts of the State fish commission 
have succeeded in gaining the respect of these fishermen at last, and 
they are gradually beginning to obey the law. 
A third cause is the presence of great numbers of seals and sea-lions 
at the mouth of Golden Gate harbor. There are probably 3,000 seals 
and sea-lions swarming around Golden Gate, each eating from 20 to 40 
pounds of fish daily, and mangling a great many. I think they should 
be exterminated, but many consider that these sea-lions are one of the 
attractions of the Pacific coast, like the Yosemite and the Geysers; 
and every suggestion or effort that is made to have them killed off is 
met by a storm of opposition. Finally the U. S. Fish Commission did 
a great deal towards stocking the headwaters of the Sacramento with 
young salmon, and the State commission in past years has done like- 
wise ; but within the last five years there has been hardly any deposit 
of young spawn in the headwaters of these streams. 
I do not tbink that catfish have materially affected the salmon catch 
in the Sacramento. The salmon spawn at the head of McCloud, Pitt, 
and Sacramento Eivers, in very shallow water; while catfish prefer 
sluggish water with a mud bottom. No catfish have been heard of 
farther up the Sacramento than Tehama, which is at least 60 miles be- 
low any of the spawning grounds. Some salmon spawn was found in 
the stomach of a catfish at one of the salmon canneries on the river a 
short time ago, and a great hue and cry was raised. The fact is that 
