SALMON FISHEEIES OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN. 
163 
The spawning- run of the silverside takes place after canning operations are 
concluded for the season, wliile the small size of the blueback gives it comparative 
immunity from capture by the gill nets, which take much the larger part of the king 
salmon. 
Keferring to Table G we find that the pack of the Chinook or king salniou ou the 
Columbia Eiver in the years 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1893 was as follows: 
Xo. of cases. 
1889 266,697 
1890 33.5,601 
1891 353,907 
1892 344,267 
1893 290,000 
Or an average of 318,095 cases ifer annum. 
In the previous five years, beginning with 1881, the pack of salmon, consisting 
almost entirely of chinook, was as follows : 
Xo. of cases." 
1884 620,000 
1885... 553,800 
1886 448,500 
1887 - 356,000 
1888 372,477 
Or an average of 470,155 cases ^fer aumrm-. 
It Avill be seen that in the five years beginning in 1881, the average pack per 
season was 152,000 cases in excess of the average pack of the five-year period begin- 
ning in 1889. During the latter period the amount of netting in use had been greatly 
increased, the fishing season extended, and the movement of the salmon into and up 
the river more completely intercepted. 
Undoubtedly, for the reasons above stated, the proportion of the entire run of 
salmon caught was larger in the latter than in the former period of five years, which 
suggests that the decrease of salmon in the latter period compared is probably larger 
than is indicated by the difference in the average catch. Tliere is no reason to doubt 
that this decrease is due to and inherent in the conditions under which the salmon 
fisheries of the river are now prosecuted, and that it will continue progressively so 
long as these conditions continue. 
The lower average of the pack during the five-year period ending with 1893 is 
due to conditions interfering with and limiting natural reproduction during the period 
of 1881 to 1888, when access to the head waters was not im])eded to the extent it now 
is by tlie fishing operations. The influence of the more effective e.xclusion of the 
salmon from their breeding-grounds for the last five years is yet to be disclosed. 
The seed for the harvest of the present year was sown in 1888 or 1889. What the 
extent of the harvest will be depends uiion the opportunity that was afforded in these 
years for the salmon to reach their spawning-grounds. 
For the ensuing five years we are iiowerless to influence conditions. What the 
production will be has been already determined, so far as we can influence it either by 
the regulation of the fisheries or by artificial propagation. There is every reason to 
apprehend that for the five years to come the average production of king salmon will 
be lower even than the average for the five years just passed. This is the penalty 
