274 



studying the subject, tliat your most serious attention should be given to preserv- 

 ing what we have left, namely, the black bass, and I think it wovild be wise to 

 pass rigid laws prohibiting inland netting, netting along the shoals and shores of 

 islands in lake Ontario, and the river St. Lawrence. I would recommend and ad- 

 vise the prohibiting of all kinds of netting at all times within three miles of any 

 shore. It is a well known fact that during certain seasons of the year, black bass 

 approach the shore for the purpose of spawning, and after the spawn has been 

 hatched the parent fish remain to guard their offspring for a considerable time 

 until they are able to care for and protect themselves from their various enemies 

 of the fish kind, and in the event of the parent fish being destroyed it is self-evi- 

 dent that the young would be left to the mercy of their numerous enemies and 

 would be destroyed. In addition to the foregoing reasons, at certain seasons of 

 the year, depending on the temperature of the water, bass approach the slioals 

 and shores of islands for feeding purposes, and this furnishes an opportunity for 

 the wicked and ever present netter to destroy more or less of these noble game 

 fish, which are becoming so rapidly extinct. 



This is a very important matter and I trust you will pardon me if I again 

 urge the fish Commissioneis to investigate the matter and use every means to 

 protect the fish above referred to, which I am confident, unless something is done 

 very soon, will become as completely extinct as whitefish in Lake Ontario. I 

 think this question should receive your immediate attention and, if possible, laws 

 carrying this into effect, should be passed during the coming winter. I consider 

 even another year's delay very dangerous, from the fact that fruitless efforts to 

 secure l>a3nng (juantities of whitefish and lake trout has caused netters to turn 

 their special attention to capturing the only remaining fish, namely, the black 

 bass and wall-eye pike, which seen; to be about all the game fish we have left. 



Wishing yourself and the Commissioners all possible success, 

 Yours very respectfully, 



(Signed,) H. H. Warner, 



President Anglers Associatioii of the St. Lawrence River. 



The following lettei' was also read from Mr. James Nevin : 



Madison, Wis., Dec, 7, 189L 



A. 1). Stewart, Esq., Secretary Joint Convention, Hamilton, Oat. : 



Dear Sir, — Your communication of 25th ult., at hand, and contents duly 

 noted. We recognize fully, the importance of the meeting which is called to 

 discuss the fish question, which is of so much commercial value to the several 

 States bordering on the great lakes and Canada. 



In the fall of LS84 our Commissioners took the initial steps by calling a 

 meeting of Commissioners of the several States. They also invited fishermen, 

 who were directly interested, to meet and discuss various measures before 

 the meeting in regard to making laws for the better protection of the fishes 

 of the great lakes. The meetings which were held at Detroit, Mich., and Mil- 

 waukee, Wis., accomplished much good, but to get uniform laws for the several 

 States and Canada is an impossibility. 



