INLAND FISHERIES. 159 



information of any breacbi of this act, the informer, upon conviction of 

 the offender, shall be entitled to one half the forfeiture ; and no person 

 shall be considered as being disqualified from being a witness on any 

 trial that may be had pursuant to this act on account of his being an 

 inhabitant of the said town of Gloucester, or of his being one of the 

 committee aforesaid. 



Sect. 5. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the dut}' of the 

 committee aforesaid to take care that a sufficient passage be kept 

 open annuall}- for the young alewives to pass from the said pond to 

 the sea. — [December 14, 1816. 



1817. 



An Act to prevent the Destruction of Pickerel in the Town of Great Harrington. 



1817, 109. Sect. 1. Be it enacted. That from and after the pass- 

 ing of this act, whoever shall kill, take or catch any pickerel in any 

 pond, cove, river or stream within the town of Great Barrington, 

 other than by or with a hook or hooks and line, shall forfeit and pa}' 

 the sum of five dollars for each and every pickerel so taken, to be 

 recovered by an}' person who may sue for the same, to his own use, 

 before any justice of the peace within the same county. — [February 

 13, 1818. 



[Sp. Laws, vol. 1, p. 290.] 

 An Act for the Preservation of the Fish called Alewives in Mattapoisett River. 

 1817, 136. Sect. 1. Be it enacted, That from and after the pass- 

 ing of this act, any person or persons who shall aid, assist or abet in 

 the unlawful taking of any of the fish called alewives in Mattapoisett 

 River, in Rochester, shall incur and be liable to the same forfeiture 

 or forfeitures as the person or persons actually taking said fish, to be 

 recovered in the same manner. — [February 19, 1818. 



[Sp. Laws, vol. 2, p. 285 ; 1812, 154.] 

 An Act to regulate the Fishery in Monatiquot River, in the Town of Braintree. 

 1817, 151. Sect. 1. Be it enacted, That the inhabitants of the 

 town of Braintree, at their meeting in March or April annually, may 

 and they hereby are authorized to regulate the taking of the fish 

 called alewives, shad and smelts in Monatiquot River, within said 

 town, or to dispose of the privilege of taking the same, to their own 

 use and benefit, in any manner or way that they may think proper, 

 which sale shall not exceed three years at one time ; and said regula- 

 tions when made shall remain in force one year next ensuing, and 

 afterwards until new regulations, in manner aforesaid, shall be adopted 

 by the town. And it shall be the duty of said town, at their 

 aforesaid meeting annually, to choose three discreet persons liy bal- 

 lot, whose duty it shall be to inspect said river, to cause the regula- 



