22 
REPORT OF BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 
than prescribed by law. We also had substituted the word “use” for 
the word “set” in section 636. This also removed another legal snag 
that had caused the dismissal of several cases, as it had been successfully 
argued that the law was misleading; that it was not a positive prohibi¬ 
tion against setting a net, and it had been so construed in one or two 
cases. We have now a better and more closely drawn law, the pro¬ 
visions of which can not be so easily evaded. 
To further advance the salmon interests, we have with the cooperation 
of the Federal Bureau of Fisheries undertaken the establishment of a 
salmon egg-collecting station on the Klamath River in Siskiyou County, 
near the town of Klamathon, the expenses of installation to be borne 
jointly, the Bureau to pay operating expenses, and the hatching and 
distribution to be done at and from Sisson at our expense. 
That the supply of salmon in the waters of this State is not only 
being maintained but positively increased through artificial propagation, 
there can be no question. The federated commercial bodies of Hum¬ 
boldt County in a petition to this Board, under date of May 27, 1910, 
asking that the capacity of the Eel River Hatchery be increased, call 
attention to the fact that “beginning in 1901. four years after the 
hatchery was established, the amount of fish caught increased very 
rapidly, so that for the five years 1903-1907, inclusive, the annual 
average of shipment was over 3,000,000 pounds, as against an annual 
average of about 300,000 pounds before the hatchery was established.” 
In spite of such trustworthy evidence there are still some who fail 
to appreciate what has been accomplished, and look upon the artificial 
propagation of fishes with mild toleration, and point backward to the 
‘ ‘ good old days ’ ’ when ‘ ‘ a man could cross the river on the backs of the 
salmon without getting his feet wet. ’ ’ 
In support of our contention and as evidence of the value of our 
work, we append herewith three comparative tables showing the num¬ 
ber of pounds of salmon taken in three periods of four years each, the 
first commencing in 1874 (or thirty-six years ago), and extending to 
August, 1878, the second showing the amount taken (each year) for 
the years 1893-94-95-96, and the third being an approximation of the 
number of pounds of fresh salmon taken in 1907-08-09-10. 
Years. 
Pounds. 
1874 - 1875 . 
1875 - 1876 . 
1876 - 1877 . 
1877 - 1878 . 
5 , 098,781 
5 , 311,423 
6,492 563 
6 , 520,768 
It was submitted by the Fish Commissioners in their report for the 
years 1878-79 to Governor Wm. Irwin that “to the weight of salmon 
actually taken to market by rail and steamboat, and the salmon actually 
