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38<br />
G-rand total distributed 1888.<br />
Saw-quai species (Nerka)...... 5,370,000<br />
Quinnat do (Chouicha) 47,000<br />
Grand total 5,807,000<br />
The above figures show that the rate of mortality with the eggs during the<br />
hatching season of 1888, was large, which is accounted for principally by the neces<br />
sary employment of inexperienced men, who had to be engaged to manipulate the<br />
fish and handle the ova.<br />
By this reason many of the eggs were improperly taken from the fish in a pre.<br />
mature state, and wore not susceptible to impregnation. The enormous quantity of<br />
salmon which it takes to furnish 10,000.000 eggs, cannot be handled properly by<br />
only two or three experienced men, as we found out when the eggs began to hatch.<br />
Lack of facility in conveying the ova from the spawning grounds to the hatch..<br />
ery, was another drawback, as the steamer which ran on the route often passed<br />
without calling, leaving a shipment of eggs to be conveyed fifty miles by canoes.<br />
As the capacity of the house was over estimated, the large number of eggs<br />
crowded the troughs to such an extent, that it was almost impossible to handle them<br />
on the trays, and we were unable to get a further supply of hatching baskets during<br />
the early part of the beason.<br />
But taking all things into consideration with the small staff we had in the<br />
hatchery during the early part of the season, the output of fry is fully as large as I<br />
expected.<br />
There has been turned out from the hatchery, since it commenced operations,<br />
up to the present date, the following number of fry<br />
The year 1885 1,800,000<br />
do 1886 2,625,000<br />
do 1887 4,414,000<br />
do 1888. 5,807,0(10<br />
Grand total 14,646,000<br />
As shown by tbe table in my last year's report, the salmon run on the Fraser<br />
Ri'er again fluctuated, and there was one of the biennial poor runs, but not worse<br />
than any of the former off years, for the canneries on the Fraser averaged 6,384<br />
cases each.<br />
Owing to the unexceptional good run in 1887, they expected the same results<br />
again this season, and made preparations accordingly; but were, however, disap<br />
pointed.<br />
In keeping with my prediction in last year's report, I am strongly of the opinion<br />
that the influence of the hatchery has been beneficially felt on the Fraser River.<br />
:From the careful examination instituted last season in the headquarters of the<br />
Thompson, Shuswap, Nicola, Kamloops, Okanagan, Stuarts and many other streams<br />
where the sawquai salmon spawn, it is clearly sh4wn by the officer who made the<br />
examination, that very few salmon were seen; while on the Harrison River and all<br />
its tributaries, such as the Morris Creek, Chaholis Creek, Silver Creek, Lillooet<br />
River and other branches, I am informed by reliable authority that the saw.quai<br />
salmon were so plentiful they could be pulled out of the water in places with a<br />
hooked stick, and after the spawning season were found dead along the shores in<br />
immense quantities.<br />
As the ova were taken from the fish caught on the Harrison River, and the<br />
majority of the fry returned to that stream, many of the cannery men, fishermen and<br />
others, agree with me that the influx of salmon there, was due to the artificial.<br />
stocking from this hatchery. It will be noticed in former reports that saw-quaisalmon<br />
fry have been turned in the Cowichan and Nanaimo Rivers, in Vancouver's
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