THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 157 
the questionable propriety of interfering with this mode of fishing, there 
would be the consideration of enforcing such rules, as it could only be 
done by means of a fleet of Government vessels of both nations, sta- 
tioned in different portions of the high seas, involving, of course, the 
danger of irritation at any attempt at enforcement, especially by the 
vessel of the opposite nationality. 
Again, even if this could be effected and enforced by the United States 
and Great Britainin respect to their own subjects, there is no probability 
that other nations would enter the convention or consider themselves 
bound by its provisions; and without the co-operation of armed vessels 
of other nationalities, any attempt at regulating the fishermen of the 
same would be resented by their respective Governments, and danger 
of war ensue. If there were no interference with the subjects of other 
Governments, the effect would be simply to give them the monopoly of 
capture by the prohibited apparatus, or during the prohibited season 
to other parties, and thus a season’s loss would be inflicted upon the 
subjects of the consenting nations. It might also bea question how far 
any Government could pretend to interfere with the fishing operations 
of its own subjects on the high seas; provided, of course, these did not 
involve any criminal action, or such as is, by common consent, allowed 
to be a matter of jurisdiction. Of course, the vessels and their catch 
might be controlled on their entering port; but there would seem to be 
nothing to prevent the taking of the fish to a foreign nation. It is for 
these and other reasons, that need not here be detailed, that most care- 
ful consideration should be given to any proposition looking towards 
the restriction or regulation in any way of the sea fisheries of the United 
States, whatever may be the practice and policy of other nations. 
There is, however, a plea for the interference of the Government, in 
certain cases, in regard to the fisheries that belong to the rivers, or are 
near the shore, and thereby most specially related to the adjacent com- 
monwealth. Nearly all civilized nations have looked with more or less 
‘care after their interior or river fisheries; and quite a number of the 
States of the American Union have their own special enactments on this 
subject. This refers more generally to the times when fishing may be 
authorized ; the character of the apparatus, whether lines or nets; but 
more particularly to the protection of the fish during the spawning sea- 
son, especially of the trout andsalmon. In States possessing shad and 
alewife fisheries there is usually a detinite date when the fish are sup- 
posed to have reached their spawning beds or the condition of spawn- 
ing, and at that time all fishing is interrupted. This varies according 
to latitude, being earlier in the South and later in the North. 
Again, the question of the pollution of rivers is one that comes up 
for consideration, in many cases the introduction of sawdust or the 
refuse from gas or manufacturing establishments being prohibited or 
controlled. Other States, again, require from the proprietors of artifi- 
cial dams the introduction of some device by which shad, salmon, and 
