REPORT 



To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and 

 Providence Plajitations, at its January Session, 1914: 



The Commissioners herewith present their forty-fourth annual 

 report, for the year 1913, which contains, as required by law, data 

 and statistics with respect to the fisheries under their jurisdiction 

 and such recommend,ations as they deem expedient. 



The fisheries in general have been in a quite prosperous condition. 

 Especially can this be said of the lobster industry. Not only has 

 there been a marked increase in the number of pounds taken from 

 the waters of the state, but there has also been a great increase in 

 the average number of pounds per lobster pot. This gain is due 

 largely to the persistent enforcement of the lobster laws and to the 

 rearing of young lobsters at the State Hatchery at Wickford. 



It is the sincere hope of your Commissioners that the laws regu- 

 lating the general fisheries may be put in the same effective condition 

 as those relating to the lobster industry. At present they are 

 ambiguous, difficult to enforce and in many cases obsolete. Your 

 Commission recommends that a committee be appointed from your 

 honorable body to assist them in drawing up new laws which shall 

 give the proper protection to these fisheries. 



Considerable interest has been shown by" sportsmen in this section 

 of the country in the possibility of establishing rod and reel fishing for 

 tuna in Block Island. Your Commission is very much interested 

 in the matter and is doing all in its power to encourage it. More 

 extended references to this valuable fishery is made on page 30 and 

 following. 



