during the open season which is
discharged through the outlet in a
succession of cascades dropping di
rectly into the bay. These cascades
are so abrupt as to effectually pre
vent the ascent of spawning salmon
or other fish to the lake, but it is
believed will not stop, or materially
interfere with migrating fry. The
waters are barren of fish life, but
a careful survey has shown that
there is an abundance of natural
footl such as is found in natural
spawning lakes and streams. There
is every reason to believe that the
situation is ideal for the propaga
tion and rearing of salmon. It is
estimated that there are ten miies
or spawning area in this water
system.
There are many lakes of this char
acter in the northern section of
Southeastern Alaska that will be
available for rearing waters if suc
cess attends this experiment.
Failure of the Hatcheries
The law of 190G was designed,
among other things, to provide for
the repletion of the salmon supply
by encouraging artificial propaga
tion, and a number of the larger
operators in good faith, and at a
net annual loss to themselves built
and operated hatcheries along lines
prescribed by government experts
under the belief that the supply of
fish would be maintained indefinitely
through this means. These hatch
eries have produced millions of fry
for the sockeye salmon to which
have been added other millions as
the product of the governme ^t
hatcheries during the last fourteen
years. Yet in spite of this and the
protective measures provided in the
law and regulations ,the sockeye was
found to be getting scarcer in the
districts where the hatcheries were
located, whereas in places remote
from hatchery operations, it held
out better.
One by one in the intervening
years the privately owned hatcheries
discontinued operations, it being as
certained that they were an unwar
ranted bill of expense and the re
sult was nil. One i.urge private con
cern operating a hatchery became
ccnvjj.ee ! before closing down that
their hatchery was a menace to the
industry in that it not only took
salmon, for artificial propagation,
away from the natural spawning
possibilities where there was a fair
chance for ultimate results, but it
produced easy food for predatory
fishes, causing an abnormal increase
in their numbers and an additional
bui den upon natuial maintenance.
A once very fertile sockeye salmon
spawning stream and lake system
v\as turned into a haven of preying
fishes. ft seemed that the whole
thought and activity of these oper
ations was to turn out as many fry
as possible soon after hatching, with
out consideration as to the fate of
the young and helpless fish upon
reaching the open waters and not
caring if they passed almost directly
from the troughs into the maws of
li e awaiting enemy. The practice
at the government hatcheries was
the same, and the game went mer
rily on for year, the private operator
taking his rebate on the salmon
license tax and the government writ
ing big reports and accomplishing
nothing for the industry. This use
less practice was carried o i with
the sockeye, the other varieties upon
which no abnormal hatchery process
v.as inflicted, held their own pretty
well until the annihilating practice
of stream fishing* was vigorously
pursued.
Propogation through artificial as
sistance is a success up to the point
of producing the fry and it is be
lieved that a much greater result
is obtained than through the natuial
process owing to the protection from
loss afforded by the means em
ployed. Unquestionably the natural
process produces the more vigorous
progeny and before the excessive in
roads made upon the supply by com
mercial fishing, a natural balance
was maintained. This balance has
now been badly broken through that
cause and conditions are growing
worse from year to year.
It has been variously estimated
that of eggs produced by the aver
age female salmon, in the natural
spawning process, only from one-half
to one per cent ever reach the stage
of mature fish. This is based upon
the chain of destruction attending
the species from the time the egg
is deposited until the adult parents
return to the spawning beds after
from two to six years’ sojourn in
other waters. The average of 3,000
produced by each female salmon was
nature’s provision for the mainte
nance of the species to normal quan
tity and unfortunately there seems
no way to increase this unit of pro
duction to such an amount as will
take care of the increased demands
of the commercial activities of the
present and to maintain the natural
balance. The best that can be done
is to assist nature in every way
possible, taking* advantage of every
proven facility and by carrying on
an extensive laboratory and field re
search work for increasing and per
fecting methods.
The Future Outlook
Upon an examination of the pro
duction it will be noted that there
has been an increase in the output
from year to year, except for the
slight decline in 1914, reaching the
peak in 1918, after which a very
sharp decline took place.
With the depletion of the salmon
runs in the Pacific states, those en
gaged in the industry moved north
ward into northern British Colum
bia and Alaska, the greater number
seek ■ i g the latter territory. These
with some new adventurers in the
business gradually augmented the
exploitation of the industry to the
limit in 1918 and then continuing
the strenuous efforts caused the sup
ply of fish to suddenly give way in
1919.
Not content with taking all the
fish possible in their journey from
the sea to the streams, the very
spawning beds in the streams and
lakes ,the scenes of last effort for
the maintenance of kind, were vij
laied and the helpless victims of
avaricious commercialism, in the
period of their lives far beyond an
economic or proper value for food
purposes, were ruthlessly taken,
canned, labeled as choice food and
offered for sale.
Fortunately in the interest of
health, quantities of this inferior
product were discovered and con
demned before it reached the mess
of the brave boys in Europe fight
ing for the existence of the nation
and the homes of the great common
people of our country who had
adopted this food into their diet
Some of this unsanitary and un
healthful product reached its destin
ation of mess and home and re
ceived its just condemnation to the
everlasting detriment of the indus
try.
The first most easily caught in the
spawning streams were of the va
rieties from which the cheaper pro
duct is obtained. The cry of im
proper food going out created a
popular distrust, caused a break in
the market and a slump in the
prices early in 1920. At this time
(March) there are more than two
million cases of these varieties un
sold and in the hands of the packers
or brokers.
l ime and again has the attention
of the authorities, the people and
the packers been called to the dan
gers of over-exploitation of the in
dustry but to no purpose. Blinded
by the increasing figures of produc
tion, congress and the controlling
Federal bureau in Washington pre
sented no reason for arresting the
frenzied fishing. The people were
misled by the apathy of the author
ities and the cajolery of the packers,
the latter in turn “peddling” to
themselves and worshiping a mys
terious fetish which would con
stantly bring on an unfailing supply
of fish, while behind it all, caring
naught of the future, was a consum
ing desire to get all they could be
fore the supply woulu fail. Sus
1. ic'on, jealousy, false representa
tions and friendships, distrust, spe
cial privileges and sharp practices
rendered co-operation of all the units
impossible and the future was ob
scured with the dirt that was being
thrown and was deeply buried in
the debris. The tendency of the
packing industry is now toward the
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