MARINE FISHERIES OF TEXAS 199 



that will produce desired results as far as the administration of 

 fisheries is concerned. 



1. The game, fish, and oyster commission should consist of several 

 members who represent diverse interests and who should hold office 

 without compensation for six years. One-third of this board should 

 retire every two years, so that at all times two-thirds of the board 

 would have had at least four years' experience. This board should 

 have broad discretionary powers, which should be shared with the 

 executive head. An executive head, as well as other necessary 

 executive and legal officers, should be provided. 



Commissioner W. W. Boyd, in his report for 1924 (p. 8), repeated 

 and emphasized the difficulties due to the short term of the com- 

 missioner and the evils resulting from frequent changes of adminis- 

 tration. He also urged the necessity of reorganization of the 

 department, and sketched a plan essentially the same as that 

 presented here. The changes advocated by Mr. Boyd are funda- 

 mental and would benefit all activities of the department. The 

 additional recommendations here presented apply particularly to 

 the commercial fisheries and are essential to their proper adminis- 

 tration. 



2. A division of commercial fisheries, distinct from the division 

 of game, should be given jurisdiction over all commercial fisheries, 

 including oysters. This division should have an executive head, who 

 should have as his first assistant the State fisheries biologist. 



3. The fisheries biologist should supervise the collection of fishery 

 statistics and such biological investigations as are necessary to bring 

 to light depletion and to indicate methods of protection. He should 

 be provided with necessary technical or clerical assistants. The fish- 

 eries biologist should be hired under contract for several years at a 

 salary comparable to that of professors in State universities. His 

 appointment should be safeguarded from the abuse of being open to 

 incompetent persons and should be entirely free from political in- 

 fluence. This could be accomplished by nomination of the candi- 

 date by a committee composed of the State commissioner, the United 

 States Commissioner of Fisheries, and the president of the State 

 university. 



The foregoing outline is not intended as a complete plan for the 

 reorganization of the State department of game, fish, and oj T sters, 

 but only to point out changes necessary for the efficient administra- 

 tion of a fishery conservation program. By such a plan a responsible 

 controlling body with discretionary powers and capable of develop- 

 ing a permanent policy of fishery regulation would be formed. A 

 "practical" man would head the fishery department and have the 

 advice of a trained fishery biologist. The fishery biologist would be 

 charged with the responsibility of carrying on statistical and bio- 

 logical inquiries of a nature to show the real abundance of each im- 

 portant species, the effects of overfishing, and to indicate protective 

 measures for such species as are shown to be suffering depletion. 



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