458 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



ascertaining whether the above-stated complaints were w T ell grounded, 

 and, if so, to suggest what, in our opinion, would reconcile the interests 

 of all parties, and whether any measure could be adopted in furtherance 

 of the very laudable object principally kept in view in framing the reg- 

 ulations, namely, the increase of this important article of food. 



With regard to the restriction to fishing in certain localities from 

 April to July, inclusive, we beg to state that, keeping in view the object 

 of the regulations (namely, that of preventing the capture of fish before 

 their development is attained), inquiries were made in certain disinter- 

 ested quarters as to whether, in the localities referred to, fish were ever 

 captured as stated, inasmuch as the fishermen themselves maintained 

 that young fish do not seek any great depth of water. From these in- 

 quiries we learn that practical men support our views, namely, that 

 during the above period young fish from shallow waters retire to deeper 

 ones in order to repair to a cooler temperature ; and that, moreover, it 

 was the presence of young fish in these and similar localities which at- 

 tracted in considerable numbers to our ports and all around our coasts 

 schools of migratory fishes, such as mackerel ("pizzintun"), pelamid 

 (" palamit"), and germon ("alonga"), which used to visit our seas in 

 great numbers, but which now are of unusual occurrence in these waters. 



The lessening in numbers, moreover, of the non-migratory fishes 

 (namely, those that are hatched, grow, and fix their abode in our ports 

 or along the coasts of these islands), such as the wrasse, the sea-bream, 

 the gray mullet and red mullet, the bass (" spnott"), and other fishes 

 which are in esteem for the table with us, is daily becoming more evi- 

 dent. 



Under the circumstances, we are compelled not only to admit the rea- 

 sonableness of the restriction in question, but also to express our hope 

 that in course of time these nets will be entirely prohibited. Indeed, 

 nothing short of such a measure, which we understand was lately carried 

 out in Sicily, will succeed in putting a stop to the immoderate and in- 

 cessant capture of fish, which capture is so detrimental to the interests 

 of all parties. Still, the extreme poverty of the seiners, who are above 

 forty in number, aud their ignorance of any other trade, induce us, on 

 the other hand, to hope that they may be allowed to use their nets as 

 prescribed in articles 1, 2, and G, without subjecting. them to the addi- 

 tional restriction contained in the paragraphs following each of those 

 three articles ; on condition that their instruments be at once seized on 

 their infringing any of the articles referring to ground seines in the reg- 

 ulations, and, moreover, that the license be granted only to them per- 

 sonally, so as not to increase their number, by which measure the Gov- 

 ernment will be enabled, when in course of time their number is extinct, 

 to prohibit these nets altogether in the principal harbors. 



With regard to the second complaint, relative to the prohibition of 

 certain nets technically called " ghazel tal sardin," " ghazel tal lacci," 

 and " terrieha tal xilep," we beg to state that as their use is limited to 



