The salmon industry is one of the great resources of Oregon. The coastal streams and the Columbia River, which is shared with Washington, yield wealth to Oregon that reaches several millions of dollars annually. This picture is of Chinook Salmon at a Columbia river cannery. The value of such an industry and more than 40,000 are dependent upon it for support. The Columbia River is recognized as the greatest fishing stream in the world. From it have been taken during the past 45 years, salmon to the value of 125,000,000 dollars.
This picture shows the salmon as they have been dumped on the floor of the salmon cannery ready to be sorted according to species. They are then ready for the “iron chink” and complete the cleaning process.
This slide represents a typical salmon stream in which a few salmon may be observed ascending the river. A very interesting controversy has arisen over what is known as the "parent stream" theory. In years past it has been debated pro and con in a lively fashion. There are those who have contended that adult salmon ascend the stream in which they were hatched and which their parents ascended. According to this idea, some instinct is supposed to have a directive influence upon the fish as they approach maturity, drawing them into the river which they descended a few years before. For support of this contention it is pointed out that marked fish released as fry in a certain river have been taken in the same stream when adult. There is no denial on the part of those who oppose the "parent stream" theory that salmon are often taken as adults in the same stream in which they were hatched. In fact, this is only to be expected. Our knowledge concerning the salmon during their existence in the ocean is necessarily very limited. It is believed, however, that salmon do not go very far distant from the mouths of rivers which they descended, or that they confine their migrations during the period of growth to near-shore waters up and down the coast. When the period of maturity nears after a few years in the ocean, the salmon being near the mouths of rivers come in contact with the fresh waters of the streams that flow into the ocean with considerable force. The salmon are attracted by this current and make their way into the mouths of the rivers and begin the ascent of the streams. It is only natural that some may find their way into the same rivers which they descended three or four years before. It is believed by the better authorities that the "parent stream" phenomenon is explained as a natural result of the habits of the fish while in the sea. Salmon are taken for commercial purposes in many ways. It is only to be expected that in the case of fish so valuable as the salmon many devices would be employed for their capture. One of the methods of taking the salmon is by the fish wheel, as is illustrated by slides.
This device was more popular in former years than it is now, but they may still be seen along the Columbia river. At the present time the wheels are very strictly controlled by state law. The flow of the water turns the wheel, while wooden scoops attached to it lift the fish from the water as they swim within reach. At the present time fish wheels are forbidden by law in nearly all bays and streams of the state except the Columbia River, and here they are very strictly regulated, being set forth in the statute books.
The first slide illustrates the five species of salmon as follows: a. King Salmon, also Quinnat, Chinook, or Tyee. It is the salmon of highest quality and value. The average weight ranges about 22 pounds, but may reach as high as 70 pounds or even eighty. It is typical of the Columbia River, but is also taken north and south of that stream. b. Red Salmon, or Sockeye. This fish has a place second only to the Chinook, both in quality and commercial value. In weight the average is considerably less than that of the Chinook, but the flesh is bright red and of excellent flavor. This variety is typical of Puget Sound but is taken both north and south of that region. c. Silver Salmon. This is also a splendid food fish. Its flesh varies from pink to red and by many is considered equal in quality to the Red Salmon. The Silver Salmon is typical of the rivers of the state other than the Columbia. During some seasons the Siuslaw, Umpqua and other rivers of the state have large quantities of this species. At such times many car loads of iced salmon are shipped from towns along these rivers. Some are being shipped directly to the Atlantic coast markets. d. "Chum" or "Keta". This variety was called for many years dog salmon and is yet known to many by that name. It was formerly considered a very inferior species and was seldom used either as a fresh product or for canning. The prejudice against it was largely due to the name, and to the pale color of its flesh. The prejudice has been rapidly decreasing since this species has been found to be a really good food fish, and during recent years. It has furnished fully one-fifth of the Pacific coast pack. e. The fifth salmon is known as the Humpback. It is of smaller size than the Dog Salmon, and like the latter is of the white variety, poor food when fresh and of inferior quality when canned. It is little used as a commercial product. Beside these five species of true salmon there is another commonly known as the Steelhead Salmon. It belongs to a different genus from the above mentioned forms but plays a very important part in the fishing industry of the state. It is considered an excellent food fish and is used freely by the canners, often under the name of the true salmon. The Steelhead is really a trout, ascending the rivers to spawn, but returning to the sea again. From a biological point of view, our Pacific Coast salmon are among the most remarkable fishes known; remarkable because so little is known of the fish while in the sea. The greater part of their life is therefore shrouded in mystery. The following facts are, however, well known: Fact 1. That the salmon ascend the rivers to spawn, some species going but a few miles from brackish waters while others travel hundreds of miles from the sea, in fact into the very small streams, pushing as far as fish of this size can swim. Spawning grounds are almost invariably in the cold fresh waters fed from lakes, springs, and mountain snows. Fact 2. During the ascent of the rivers the salmon do not take any food. As a result, their digestive organization becomes shrunken and functionless. Fact 3. The adult salmon after spawning all die. None of them live to get back to the sea. Fact 4. The young hatched in the small streams may in some species make their way down to the sea the same season; in others they remain in fresh water until the next year. Fact 5. A period of years is spent in the ocean, probably from three to five, depending upon the species. During this time practically nothing is known of their habits.
More profitable means of taking salmon are found in the gill net, the purse seine, and the fish trap. The gill net is stretched partially across the channel of the river or run out in front of the fish as they are moving up stream. They become entangled in the meshes of the net, which holds them fast until they are hauled in. The purse seine is used extensively on large bodies of water, such as Puget Sound. A very long seine is used which is circled about a run of salmon and then drawn together at the bottom, is then hauled in.