640 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
the other’s territory. I would also repeal and abolish all of the existing laws 
of the several states and provinces in so far as they deal with the food fishes 
of the Great Lakes, so that the question of proper authority and jurisdiction 
could never arise. The greatest advantages to be gained by thus placing the 
Great Lakes under the control of the two governments would be the more 
rigid enforcement of the laws and the removal of legal proceeding from the 
universally conceded local influence over local juries. A uniform law such as 
I deem to be adequate to afford the fullest measure of protection for the 
whitefish should be framed along the following lines: 
(1) Issue to the present United States and Canadian fishermen, or to 
anyone who shall subsequently apply therefor, a revocable license to fish the _ 
waters of the Great Lakes and their tributaries; such license to be suspended 
for six months for the first violation, one year for the second, and forever 
forfeited without hope of reinstatement upon a third violation of the protective 
laws. 
(2) Provide for an open season during the months when the fish are 
spawning and a closed season during the month or months when the largest 
lifts of unripe fish are made. 
(3) Prevent any sort of fishing in certain localities siiars large numbers 
of immature fish congregate upon the feeding grounds, this legislation to 
pertain to all portions of the Great Lakes system where the presence of such 
fish has been established and to be enforced during such month or months as 
they make their appearance in large numbers for feeding purposes. 
(4) Prevent the sale or offering for sale or the use of immature whitefish 
in any manner except for charitable purposes, the size of a mature fish to be 
legally fixed for this purpose at 214 pounds. This would discourage the capture 
of immature fish and protect them upon their feeding grounds, where they 
assemble in schools. 
(5) Make no restrictions of any kind whatsoever as to the kind of nets or 
the size of the mesh which the fishermen may use in their operations, because, 
in my judgment, the provisions of this character which are now a part of the 
present local laws have furnished even more opportunities for the fishermen 
to escape conviction than the influence upon local juries. Rigidly enforce the 
provisions regulating the size of the fish which may be sold, and the size of 
the mesh, kind of net, and manner of capture will be regulated by the fishermen 
themselves. 
(6) As a part of this legislation let there be a provision requiring all 
fishermen who operate in the territory comprising the Great Lakes and their 
tributaries to take and fertilize all of the spawn contained in every ripe female 
that is caught during the spawning season, further details of which plan I 
shall discuss under another topic. 
