Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-05-07 | Page 16 | Fish Hatcheries Solved Problem of Propagation

Fish Hatcheries Solved Problem Of Propagation Edito Editors Editor's s 's Note This Is s the seventh article of or an series on fish tish and game topics Co Commissioner Cook Is writing exclusively for The Telegram By NEWELL B. B COOK State Fish and Game Commissioner Natural fish reproduced In Utah lakes and streams is becoming a athing athing thing of the past and it is man that has upset the b bance once ance nature Denature the tho fishing world Natural a demands demands' natural conditions j and when man instituted in- in the V Vand and necessary ir irrigation ir systems t r in Utah he un-i un willingly and un- un un-j un J Intentionally struck a death deathblow blow at natural reproduction of 4 fish At that man man has done better Cook CookIn than ihan nature in fish Lh propagation Look at the millions of tree seeds that are produced annually in natures nature's na an- tures ture's effort to have each species of life reproduce its kind Few of the millions of seeds become seedlings seedlings seed seed- lings and a very small per cent mature mature ma ma- ture trees In the fish world the same holds hold true Under natural conditions the odds are aro 20 to one ono n against a fish egg ever hatching Only five per cent of tho natural lay become become become be be- come fry Less than five per cent reach maturity The rest go JO to feed some of natures nature's other babies In l hatcheries we figure that that- 65 5 per cent of the egg take will become become become be be- come fingerlings and more than 50 per cent can become legal size providing providing providing pro pro- viding we have means to feed them that long Th Thus s it seems that man manis manis manis is making some amends for fer the wrongs he did the fish ish kingdom by bywater bywater bywater water division water storage and use I When man learned enough about fish to do a better job at egg hatching hatching hatching hatch hatch- ing and fish rearing than nature he had won only half th the battle Changing stream conditions remain re re- re- re main a great m menace mOnace nace to trout anc and this problem must be solved if it the good start made at the hatcheries is isto isto isto to be continued and the results shown in the anglers' anglers creels The Tho dro drouth th of or the last three years has hns been a serious handicap to the fish Ish and J game me department Thirsty ty acres took toole the he last drop of water vater out of man many streams tream and the result was an appalling loss of fish tish life Ufe In some places efforts were made to stimulate nature in the streams and create creato little pools and recesses in which the trout could dwell under under under un un- un- un der natural stream conditions A small amount of water was WM held back in these pools and in many cases proved sufficient to make homes for or trout Here we are are facing a major lem What will vili our hatchery development development devel dovel- amount to if the tho fruits of the tho hatchery are to bleach upon the beds of oC barren streams