10 PEOTECTIOX OF FRESH-WATER MUSSELS. 



Nevertheless, the element of sacrifice can not be entirely eliminated. 

 In this case, as in others, ultimate benefits can scarcely be obtained 

 ■without some temj)orary sacrifice, although it should be aimed to 

 make the immediate loss felt as little as possible. It is the unwill- 

 ingness of individuals to make voluntary sacrifices, independently, 

 for the good of the mussel beds that makes legislation of any kind 

 necessary. There is a demand for legislative action only because, in 

 the end, the welfare of all parties concerned is dependent upon the 

 promotion of abundant growth of mussels. 



Finally an eminently desirable feature of any legislation is that 

 it shall be so simple, plain, and undebatable as to minimize the diffi- 

 culty of enforcement. Coupled with this there must be not only an 

 effective penalty but machinery of enforcement that will work simply 

 and certainly. 



The measures to be proposed will be considered in the light of 

 these requirements, together with the basic conditions offered by the 

 natural history and the conditions of life and reproduction of the 



mussels. 



EXAMINATION OF PROTECTIVE MEASURES. 



TWO MEASURES FOR IMMEDIATE APPLICATIOX. 



As appears from the remarks hitherto made, the restrictions which 

 are immediately required for the preservation of the shell resources 

 are — 



(1) The imposition of size limits for the protection of young 

 mussels. 



(2) The adoption of a plan of rotation of closed regions, whereby 

 the mussel beds may be given the best opportunity for propagation 

 and growth. 



We do not at this time advocate any other limitations, and it will 

 be attempted to show that these are so simple to apply and so prom- 

 ising of effectual conservation that it is strongly advisable not to com- 

 plicate the situation by a needless multiplicity of restrictions. These 

 two measures will be fully discussed in subsequent sections of the paper. 



MEASURES NOT SUITED TO EXISTING CONDITIONS. 



Two other measures that have been more or less frequently pro- 

 posed are the provision of a closed season during certain months and 

 the restriction of the methods of taking mussels. A"\liile it is the 

 purpose of the jo resent* paper to discuss more especially the positive 

 suggestions that are offered, it is not out of place to give brief]}'- some 

 of the reasons for exclusion of measures which may have been sug- 

 gested b}^ friends of the industry with sincerity of purpose and which 

 are not upon their face devoid of merit. Always let it have the first 

 place in our minds that the one object in view is not to hamper but 

 to develop the mussel fishery. 



