NOTES ON THE FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
241 
Preservation and increase of the salmon sn 2 )ply . — It is not unnatural that the solici- 
tude for the maintenance of the supply of salmon on the Columbia Kiver should now 
be greater and more general than at any previous time in the history of the fishery. 
The catch of chinook salmon has recentlj^ shown an almost constant annual decrease, 
aud the success of the industry is yearly becoming more jeopardized. People who 
Avithin a short time scouted the idea of a permanent reduction in the number of chinook 
salmon entering the river, are now not aA'Crse to conceding the effects of overfishing, 
and there is probably no one pecuniarily interested in the industry Avho does not 
realize that the time has come for active measures to prevent a still more serious 
impairment of the abundance of salmon. Of course the supply of chinook salmon in 
the Columbia Basin is still enormous and the productive capacity of the river is 
wonderful. All reference, therefore, to a decreased ahundance must be construed in 
the relative sense as compared with the conditions prevailing when the acme of the 
cautiing industry was attained in 1884 and 1885. The threatened exhaustion of the 
supply must also be considered with reference to the extent of the fishing now carried 
. on, whicli is not only commensurate with the supply, but is overtaxing the capacity 
of the river. The facts must also be borne in mind that the annual reduction is 
hastened by the employment of larger and larger quantities of apparatus; that as the 
supply becomes smaller the diminution becomes more pronounced in geometrical 
ratio; and that the results of OA^ertaxatiou of the resources of the river in a given 
season are not seen the next year or the next, but are to be gauged in the fourth or 
fifth year following. 
Special inquiries were made by the writer among the salmon-canners, fishermen, 
and citizens as to the legislative or other action demanded by the present condition 
of aftairs. The practical unanimity of opinion is remarkable in view of the supposed 
diverse interests represented by canners, gill-net fishermen, trap fishermen, seine fish- 
ermen, wheel fishermen, etc. 
Foremost among the measures advocated for the improvement of the salmon 
industry is artificial propagation. Tlie reliance placed in fish-culture is practically 
unanimous. Some believe that nothing else is necessary for the regeneration of the 
fishery than very extensive fish-cultural operations, but most persons in the salmon 
districts think that, for a time at least — until the fishery begins to improve — the 
propagation Avork should be supplemented by some prohibitive measures. 
It being generally recognized that the decline in the abundance of chinook salmon 
is due to the fact that the length of the fishing season and the avidity with which the 
fishery is prosecuted prevent a sufflcient number of salmon reaching the spaAvning- 
grounds to repair the annual destruction by man, the character of the protection 
which has been considered most necessary is a shortening of the fishing season, sup- 
plemented by a short weekly intermission in the fishing. 
Under present regulations the regular salmon-fishing on the Columbia Eiver 
begins April 11 and continues until August 10. In the opinion of the U. S. Commissioner 
of Fish and Fisheries, if the fish that are uoav taken in April and August were 
allowed to pass up unmolested, a very marked improvement in the abundance of 
salmon would in due time be witnessed, and this protection, Avith ample artificial 
propagation, would rapidly restore the ]>roductiveness of the river. 
F. C. B. 1894—16 
