32 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



should be the first to desire a new system, which would give to each a 

 shellfish farm and the privilege of selecting his market. 



VII. At the present moment there are two evils which demand 

 attention, and which can be lessened by the passage of two simple 

 laws : — 



(1) During the past three years many thousands of bushels of 

 quahaugs under V/2 inches have been shipped out of the State, merely 

 passing into the hands of New York oystermen, who replanted, reaping 

 in one year a harvest of at least five bushels to every one " bedded." 

 Through the inactivity of town control, the incentive to get ahead of 

 the other fellow and the ignorance that they are wasting their own 

 substance have caused many quahaugers in the past to do this at many 

 places. » 



The iy2-inch quahaug law has been for years a law for many towns 

 in the State. It has been practically a dead letter in all but Edgartown, 

 where it is enforced thoroughly. There should be a State law restrict- 

 ing the size of the quahaugs taken. 



(2) The enforcement of a lV2-inch clam law, especially in the towns 

 of Fall River and Swansea, where the digging has reduced the clams 

 to a small size, likewise deserves immediate attention. 



All the present evils have each contributed their share toward the 

 ruin of the shellfisheries, and can be best summed up under one head, 

 i.e., the abuse of nature. All the above evils have either directly or 

 indirectly worked towards this end. This " abuse of nature " has re- 

 sulted in several ways: (1) indiscriminate fishing, restricted by no laws, 

 augmented by unwise laws; (2) overfishing in certain localities until 

 the supply is exhausted, as, among other instances, with the Essex 

 clam flats and the natural oyster beds of the Weweantit River; (3) 

 exploiting and wasting the natural resources, so that nature cannot 

 repair the inroads. Nature cannot cope with despoiling man, — man 

 must assist nature. 



In the past there has been much feeling, especially among the clam- 

 mers of the north shore, against the Fish and Game Commission. It 

 therefore is necessary to correct a mistaken impression, which has 

 arisen among the clammers, that " the State is going to take the clam 

 flats away from us." This idea is on the face of it absurd. The Massa- 

 chusetts Fish and Game Commission is seeking only to have this question 

 solved in such a manner as to yield the most satisfactory results for 

 the public good. At the present time it would be highly undesirable to 

 take the complete control of the shellfisheries from any town, as long as 

 that town shows itself capable of regulating them wisely. At the pres- 

 ent day but few towns show any signs of this. What is necessary and 

 desirable is to have an intelligent supervisory body, with power to com- 

 pel each town to take proper care of its shellfisheries. It is advisable 

 that there be a central power, co-operating with the town control in all 



