MARINE FISHERIES OF TEXAS 193 



5. Laws to stop the taking and sale of fish under certain size 

 limits. 



6. Laws to assure the fish entrance to the inside waters by pro- 

 hibiting fishing with nets in any of the passes leading from the Gulf 

 of Mexico or from one body of coastal water to another. 



A brief summary of the history of the laws just mentioned follows. 

 One of the first records that mention the conservation of Texas fishes 

 is found in a report of the United States Fish Commission for 1890, 

 on page 380: 



Believing that the fish are caught in greater quantities than their natural 

 fecundity can make good, there is a desire on the part of many persons, especially 

 those interested in developing the sporting fisheries of Texas, to restrict in some 

 way the use of seines. While the supply of fish may be decreasing, yet there 

 does not appear to be an urgent necessity for a very great restriction. The 

 cessation of the seine fishery in the bays for four months, from May to August, 

 which is the plan generally urged, would throw entirely out of employment over 

 350 men, removing from the coast towns a monthly revenue of more than $12,000 

 and taking from the market a cheap and wholesome article of food. It would 

 also seriously affect the marketing of fish taken during the winter, since pur- 

 chasers in the interior would prefer obtaining their supplies from such sources 

 as could provide for them continuously throughout the year. If restriction be 

 deemed expedient and necessary, the prevention of marketing of large fish, say 

 of redfish weighing over 14 pounds (advocates of a close time contend that red- 

 fish, more than any other species, require special protection) , would largely 

 answer the purpose without embarrassing persons depending on the bay seine 

 fishery for a living. These large redfish are the spawning fish. They are difficult 

 to market, being coarse and of poor flavor, and are sometimes even thrown away. 



Such a law was finally enacted, and at the present time it is illegal 

 to catch or handle "bull redfish" (for commercial purposes) over 32 

 inches long entire, or, without the head, over 27 inches from the gill 

 cavity to the tip of the tail. In 1924 the first strict enforcement of 

 this law made dealers and fishermen regard it, and at the present time 

 the regulation is well accepted. Thus, the spawning redfish has pro- 

 tection, as was suggested as early as 1890. 



I. P. Kibbe, State commissioner of Texas, in his report for 1904 

 lists the laws made during his term of office that define and close cer- 

 tain bays and bayous as breeding grounds for fish. This included a 

 great deal of water from one end of the coast line to the other, and 

 usually those waters known to the fishermen as the best places in 

 which to find fish. Thus, by giving them ample space in which to 

 deposit their spawn unmolested, it was sought to increase the supply 

 of fish in the coastal waters of the State. From about September, 

 1913, in addition to this law, a restriction against the use of seines 

 during June, July, and August was put into effect; but during the 

 period of the World War all these laws were disregarded and wide- 

 open fishing was allowed at any time, any place, and with almost any 

 sort of gear. This was done with Federal approval. 



Such a condition prevailed from 1916 until February, 1919. At 

 that time all the old, pre-war restrictions went into effect again; 

 breeding grounds were protected, size limits on certain species were 

 strictly enforced, all nets had to come under definite specifications, 

 and no seining at all was allowed during the summer months. It was 

 hard, however, for the Mexican fishermen to understand why such 

 good fishing should suddenly be denied them; why they should have 

 to fish 1 mile from the passes instead of only 500 yards away, as during 

 the war. Consequently, they made it a practice to fish in closed 

 waters and to drag gill and trammel nets whenever they had an oppor- 



