of this the manager of the McTavish
cannery at Rivers Inlet informed us
in the course of his evidence that,
based on the nightly catch at the In
let, 80.000 fish escape up river in
one night during the weekly closed
season. Besides many fish escape
even when the nets are in the water
and while the nets are not in the
water in the course of the week.
Thus, with a ten weeks’ fishing
period, approximately 1,200,000 fish
escape capture and proceed up the
Skeena to spawn. Tf this is not the
case, then it is foolish to continue to
nave weekly closed seasons.
In view of these figures, even af
ter the allowance is made for de
struction of eggs naturally deposit
ed, it seems ridiculous to claim that
the spawn of 14,000 fish hatched ar
tificially is of any material help in
maintaining the annual run to the
Skeena against the great drain made
on it yearly.
It appears to us that hatcheries
were built and operated in the past
in a very blind and unmethodical
way. and evidently for the purpose
of making this service an important
one. This is borne out by the fact
That the Bon-Accord hatchery in the
Fraser district was found, after 30
vears operation, to bo useless, owing
to its situation and closed in 1914.
Then again hatcheries were multi
plied at a time when the bulk of the
run to the river was being taken and
used by Americans.
During the period from 1901 to
1921 the hatcheries serving the
Fraser increased from 1 to 6. In
that same period 60 percent of the
sockeye runs to the Fraser was being
annually taken by United States
fishermen while the fish were mak
ing for the river.
If, again, hatcheries are beneficial
in maintaining runs of fish, why has
the Naas river been entirely neglect
ed in this respect? Anyway, is one
hatchery considered sufficient for
Rivers Inlet where eight canneries
operate?
In the memorandum referred to
it Is alleged the evidence given the
results was, with very few excep
lions from men who ha(l no knowl
edge of the subject, and who had
never seen a hatchery in operation.
We wish to point out that in addi
tion to some evidence from hatchery
officers, the evidence chiefly came
from canner and fishermen who are
looking for results in the shape of
increased supply for all the money
that is being spent on artificial
hatching and cannot find any. And
that after all is the real test.
The manager of the Northern B.
C. Fsiherics cannery at Namu testi
fied that a small private hatchery
at his place had been stocked with
about a million fry annually for the
last six years, but no results are ap
parent.
The general manager of the B. C.
Canning company testified that he
failed to see any result anywhere
from the operation of hatcheries,
and thought it would he much better
to expend the money in taking care
of the spawning beds .
The head of the canning and
the general fish business in New
Westminister said the past hatchery
methods have proved a failure, and
+he newer methods are not beyond
the experimental stage yet, and noth
ing had been proved His advice is,
improve the spawning grounds by
eliminating predatory birds and
fishes.
The head of the British Columbia
Fishing and Packing Company in the
course of a reference to their private
hatchery in the Nimpkish River said
he would rather depend on natural
propogation.
The general manager of the Wal
lace Fisheries testified that hatch
eries have given no results in sock
eye hatching, and the money would
better spend on natural propogation.
The head of the firm of Todd and
Sons was asked a straght question
by the Commission, if, as a result
cf the long experience as a canner,
he would say hatcheries should be
continued or not, in view of the fact
that nobody seemed able to give con
crete evidence of their value. His
answer was to this effect, that hav
ing the hatcheries it would be a
mistake to clear them out, but
there should be closer observations
and more experimental work. We
confess that it does not seem good
advice to continue spending a large
sum of money on the hatcheries
simply because they are there.
We have no desire to advise the
closing up of all hatcheries and
bringing to an end all operations
connected therewith simply on the
strength of what we have heard so
far. We do feel most strongly, how
ever, in the light of all the evidence
heard and documents consulted that
'he Department should move slowly
until we have more definite and sat
isfactory proof that the industry and
the country is receiving some re
turn for the annual expenditure of
more than $130,000 in B .C. alone.
It was made quite evident to us
that the old hatchery methods were
of little cocmercial value. It was
made equally plain that the retain
ing pond system which is still in the
experimental stage and expensive by
reason of the feedings of the fish,
has, as yet given no proof of its effi
ciency. There is a wide spread be
lief, however, that the system of
placing eggs in gravel by means of
specially constructed boxes, will
prove more effective than any other,
especially in seeding remote streams,
and streams from which the natur
ally deposited eggs have been washed
out and destroyed by freshets .
Consequently, we urge that before
Lhe service is extended, some defin
ite experimental tests be carried on
for a series of years. We make the
condition, however, that the opera
tions be carried on and observations
made directly under competent sci
entific supervision, not under fishery
officers or hatchery officials alone
who have no scientific knowldege.
We also recommend that more at
tention be paid to improving the
spawning places by ridding them of
enemies of the salmon, and clearng
streams for the passage of fish, and
commission regarding the hatchery
by taking such other masures as may
be deemed prudent in the premises.
(Continued on Page Five)