SALMON FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 
7 
Unalaska, Alaska Territory, June 18, 1890. 
Hon. Marshall McDonald, 
U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries : 
Dear Sir : In looking over my letter regarding the construction of traps in Wood River it occurs 
to me that I may not have explained my action very definitely. It is generally understood here that 
the act of March 2, 1889, does not prohibit the ordinary use of the trap, and that when a practicable 
channel is left for the passage of salmon they may lawfully he used. As I did not feel fully compe- 
tent to argue the point I advised them to keep within the law, as the Government intended to enforce 
it strictly and would exact the full penalties for its infraction. 
If it is the intention of the act to prohibit the use of traps, I would respectfully suggest that it 
he so stated in a Treasury circular. It would simplify matters very much if the Treasury Department 
would state definitely what the canners may or may not do under the act of March 2, 1889. 
Yery respectfully, 
Z. L. Tanner, 
Lieut. Commander, U. S. Navy, Commanding. 
This correspondence was referred to the ichthyologist of the Commission, who 
made the following report : 
U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, 
Washington, D. C., July 224, 1890. 
Col. Marshall McDonald, 
U. S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries : 
Sir : After having considered the letters of Lieut. Commander Z. L. Tanner, U. S. Navy, dated June 
15 and 18, 1890, referring to the construction of a trap in Wood River, Alaska, I respectfully offer 
my opinion that such a contrivance for the capture of salmon is of the nature of an obstruction which 
would impede and, in all probability, prevent the ascent of salmon to their spawning-grounds. It is, 
therefore, clearly a violation of the act approved March 2, 1889, a portion of which is quoted here- 
with : 
[Public No. 158. — An act to provide for the protection of the salmon fisheries of Alaska.] 
“ Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress 
assembled, That the erection of dams, barricades, or other obstructions in any of the rivers of Alaska, 
with the purpose or result of preventing or impeding the ascent of salmon or other anadromous spe- 
cies to their spawning-grounds, is hereby declared to he unlawful, and the Secretary of the Treasury 
is hereby authorized and directed to establish such regulations and surveillance as may he necessary 
to insure that this prohibition is strictly enforced and to otherwise protect the salmon fisheries of 
Alaska; and every person who shall he found guilty of a violation of the provisions of this section 
shall he fined not less than $250 for each day of the continuance of such obstruction.” 
It has been demonstrated that traps in salmon rivers will speedily exterminate the salmon. New- 
foundland furnishes a satisfactory illustration of this fact. So well is this matter understood that 
British Columbia forbids altogether the capture of salmon in narrow reaches of streams, and the 
rivers are guarded to see that the close time and other regulations are observed; the length of nets and 
their size of mesh are fixed by law ; even the offal from canneries is not allowed to lie in the way of 
ascending fish. 
The Alaskan salmon firms are in the territory to get fish. They prefer to get them without injury 
to the future of the business if possible, but get them they must or be overcome by financial disaster 
In their efforts to win success they have often stretched nets across the mouths of small streams and 
prevented the salmon from going up until a sufficient number had collected to make a good seine haul 
possible. They have erected traps in rivers in such a way as to stop every salmon from ascending and, 
in some cases, actually built impassable barricades to prevent the ascent of fish entirely until the 
demands of the canneries were satisfied. Even when fishing regulations were adopted by mutual 
agreement among the firms interested, individual infractions of the rule were only too frequent. 
The trap men on Wood River are building upon the well-known habit of the quinnat (or king 
salmon) of following along the shores in shallow water to escape from enemies. All the conditions, 
both natural and invented, will favor the entrance of salmon into the great inclosure at the end of 
the leader of netting. In all probability few salmon will swim in midchannel and reach the upper 
