OUR VANISHING FOOD FISH 



559 



The experience we have had in ob- 

 taining that tish-protection legislation 

 we have been fortunate enough to se- 

 cure from the legislatures of the several 

 coast States, plainly indicates that long 

 before these States have agreed upon 

 uniform laws, the fish will be no more. 

 The situation is one which, in the opin- 

 ion of many, is critical, and imperatively 

 requires the attention of our National 

 Government. To delay longer in treat- 

 ing it as a national problem, and to fail 

 to apply a remedy from a national view- 

 point, presages the sacrifice of what is 

 left of our fisheries. 



Acting from this viewpoint, during 

 the first session of the G3d Congress, I 



eries, whose Bureau is a portion of the 

 Department of Commerce, regulations 

 governing netting, seining, and the sea- 

 sons for taking, framed to suit the par- 

 ticular requirements of each body of 

 water, can be formulated. The judicious 

 application of conservative methods will 

 cause the fish to multiply, and restore 

 to a flourishing condition the fishery 

 business, whose present chaotic condi- 

 tion, due to lack of sane regulation, is 

 forcing it to inevitable destruction, to 

 the injury of the whole fish-consuming 

 public. 



Then, too, let us not overlook that we 

 of the present generation are the trus- 

 tees of the wealth of the waters which 



King Salmon Going Upstream to Spawning Grounds. 



introduced in the House of Representa- Nature has so bountifully given. It is 



tives two measures : our privilege to use what we require 



The first, H. R. 7774, is designed to for our own sustenance and comfort, 



restrict the shipment in interstate com- but when we dissipate this gift through 



merce of fertilizer or oil composed in profligacy and extravagance we rob 



whole or in part of food fish. those yet unborn of their birthright. 



The second, H. R. 7775, places all fish Our holding may be likened to that of 

 that do not remain the entire year the cestui que trust. If our use be- 

 within the waters of any State or terri- comes an abuse, resulting in the wasting 

 tory under the |)rotcction of the Gov- of this estate, our wrongdoing will 

 ernment of the United States and au- serve only to cast upon our memory that 

 thorizes the Department of Commerce reproach which we deserve. In our 

 to define the seasons and rejrulate the present treatment of our food fish we 



manner and conditions under which 

 they may be taken or destroyed. 



If these measures are enacted into 

 law the use of food fish in the manufac- 

 ture of oil or fertilizer will be cfi'ectually 

 discouraged. Under the direction of 

 the Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 



are not only squandering a valuable 

 national asset, the part destruction of 

 which has already entailed financial loss 

 upon ourselves, but we are destroying a 

 food supply the effects of which upon 

 the living problem of the future it is 

 impossible to estimate. 



Photos by courtesy of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. 



