The Salmon Fishery of Penobscot Bay and River in 1895-96 | Page 9

good fishway. Below the dam at Bangor there is little
poaching, but below the other dams--especially at
Montague--comparatively large numbers of salmon are sacrificed by
the illegal use of the spear and drift net. In 1896 all the salmon below
Montague were at the mercy of poachers after July 15, when all
wardens on the river were laid off. The supply of spawning fish was
thus greatly reduced. The people above Bangor have no interest in
preserving the salmon supply of the river, as they receive none of the
benefits from fishing which are enjoyed by fishermen of the lower
river.
This year Mr. Atkins, having this matter under consideration, visited
the east branch of the Penobscot River. A certain tributary of the east
branch, which was said to be one of the best spawning-grounds for
salmon in the Penobscot basin, was obstructed by a dam in the
spawning region. The dam was impassable to fish in July, and had been
so during the previous months. In a deep pool below the dam, which
was reported to be a favorite resort for salmon each season, no salmon
were found. In other words, if the salmon had reached this stream they
could not have gotten above the dam, and would undoubtedly have
congregated in the pool mentioned and been noticed, but no fish had
ascended even that far.

Extension of salmon-hatching operations on the Penobscot.
The establishment of branch hatcheries has been suggested in order to
utilize the spawning salmon in the region which lies above commercial
fishing, and thus increase by artificial means the production of young
fish. It is well known that even under the best conditions now
prevailing in our streams the eggs of anadromous fishes like the salmon
and shad are liable to numerous destructive agencies; that only a small
percentage of the eggs laid under natural surroundings ever hatch, and
that the young are subject to heavy mortality up to the time when they
leave the river and enter the salt water. Probably 5 per cent would be
much too large an estimate of the number of salmon eggs which in a

state of nature produce fish that reach the ocean. Fish-culture, on the
other hand, hatches 95 per cent of the eggs and raises 75 per cent of the
fry to the age of yearlings. Of 206,350 Atlantic salmon eggs obtained in
1895 at the government station at Craig Brook, 206,109 were hatched
and 151,761 yearling fish were liberated in the fall. The percentage of
eggs hatched was thus 99.88 and the percentage of yearlings raised was
78.39. This is sufficient ground for interfering with the salmon even
after they have reached their spawning-beds, and justifies the
establishment of hatcheries in the headwaters of the Penobscot,
provided the supply of fish in any section is large enough to insure a
reasonable take of eggs.
No examinations of the upper tributaries of the Penobscot thus far
made have disclosed the existence of any stream on which the
construction of a branch salmon hatchery is warranted, owing to the
few salmon obtainable. The matter deserves further investigation,
however, and will receive due consideration at an early date. It is
thought that a satisfactory supply of fish may be secured by
constructing a dam or rack which will intercept fish in the main stream
and lead practically the entire run into one tributary, where they may be
retained.
The operation of a branch salmon hatchery in the river above Bangor
would of course depend on the successful working of the fishways and
the enforcement by the State of the anti-poaching laws.

Planting of quinnat salmon and steelhead trout in Maine streams.
The United States Fish Commission is making the experiment of
planting large numbers of non-indigenous salmon in the Penobscot
Basin and other Maine waters with a view to test whether the fishes are
adapted to those streams. The species with which trials have thus far
been made are the quinnat or chinook salmon (_Oncorhynchus
tschawytscha_) and the steelhead trout (_Salmo gairdneri_). It is
intended to plant sufficiently large numbers of yearling fish to fully test
the feasibility of the project; and in the event of success two extremely

valuable species will have been added to the fishery resources of the
Maine streams.
During the years 1896 and 1897 over 2,000,000 young quinnat salmon
and steelheads were deposited by the Commission in the Penobscot
River and adjacent waters, several hundred thousand of which were
four to six months old. The planting of additional fry and yearlings is
contemplated in order to thoroughly demonstrate whether their
introduction is possible.
The quinnat salmon ranges along practically the entire Pacific Coast of
North America north of Mexico, entering all suitable streams. It is the
most valuable member of the salmon family,