MARINE FISHERIES OF TEXAS 191 



them can be adopted. A scientific investigation of the Texas fish- 

 eries must include elaborate and extended studies of the various 

 phases of the life histories of all the important commercial species. 

 This is a work requiring not months, but years. All popular ideas 

 must be tested, all previous research of a scientific nature must be 

 verified, and then original data, full and complete, must be secured 

 regarding the biology and ecology of trout, redfish, drum, sheeps- 

 head, and other species. The local distribution and the fluctuating 

 seasonal abundance of these species in the waters of the State must 

 be determined as well as the reason for such distribution and such 

 seasonal abundance. In short, most intensive research in the field of 

 fishery investigations should be carried on and mature conclusions 

 reached before drastic regulations are enacted. 



CONSERVATION OF THE TEXAS FISHERIES 



TRUE AIM OF CONSERVATION 



The term "conservation" has been greatly abused and often has 

 become associated in the minds of various people, particularly the 

 commercial fishermen throughout the country, with oppressive 

 restrictions upon their activities. It is appropriate, therefore, to 

 restate the true meaning of the term. Conservation implies the 

 fullest and wisest use of nature's wealth without endangering the 

 supply for the future. Applied to fisheries, it includes all efforts 

 toward producing at present and maintaining for all time the maxi- 

 mum yield. Thus, the efforts of any class, either sportsmen or 

 commercial interests, to unduly restrict or to overexploit are both 

 selfish and unpatriotic and contrary to the purposes of conservation. 



PAST ATTEMPTS AT CONSERVATION 



The State of Texas long has been aware that the fisheries, like any 

 great natural resource, are subject to depletion if exploitation is too 

 intensive. Hence, the object of various fish and oyster laws has 

 been the protection, conservation, and increase of all valuable forms 

 of marine life. The game, fish, and oyster commission has been 

 successful in enforcing laws that have had for their purpose the 

 protection and conservation of both fresh and salt water species of 

 fish, but the increasing of the natural supply has been a problem of 

 a different nature. While the artificial propagation of fresh-water 

 forms, such as the large-mouthed black bass and rainbow trout, has 

 met with success, no definite means of increasing the supply of 

 marine fish has been developed as yet. The efficiency of the fresh- 

 water hatcheries, as well as those for various anadromous fishes, 

 particularly the salmon, has caused the people to believe that fish 

 culture will be the future means for increasing the supply of valuable 

 marine fish. Thus, from time to time the. idea of a salt-water fish 

 hatchery has been brought up and seriously considered. 



ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION 



State Commissioner R. H. Wood believed that the only way to 

 increase the fish supply on the Texas coast is for the State to operate 

 a hatchery. Following is an extract from his report for 1907 : 



We own many necks of water where the redfish, trout, and sheepshead go to 

 spawn. At one or more of these places there could be located, at little expense 



