26 



spawn ; they remain at sea and get their growth 

 there." 



Mr. Goraud : "If each year a certain percentage 

 of fish is caught of course that operates to the disad- 

 vantao-e of the laro-er fish ? " 



Dr. Bean : " I presume it does, but they cannot 

 be caught at any time except in the spawning season. 

 There is no fishery for them at sea, and the catch is 

 Hmited to the time when they return to the rivers to 

 spawn." 



Mr. Huntington: "I want to refer to a stream 

 near Smithtown, L. I. There is a stream there per- 

 haps three miles long that comes down to the waters 

 of the Sound. Years ago there was taken there only 

 an occasional stray shad. About ten years ago, I do 

 not remember the exact date of the planting, there 

 was a plant made by the State of N. Y. in that river, 

 and for the last two or three years there has been 

 quite good fishing. I was over there and spent a 

 week in the shad time about three weeks ago, and at 

 the house where I stopped I saw them have one morn- 

 ing three or four shad that weighed over ten pounds 

 apiece. I cite this to show fishermen that shad will 

 thrive in waters that are suitable for their introduction." 



Mr. Whitaker : " I think perhaps the same factors 

 will not operate in regard to the shad and other salt 

 water fish as would in regard to the fresh water fish 

 of the lakes. The fish are growing smaller and there 

 is a cause for it. As the fish increase in size the 

 meshes of the nets have been contracted, the fish 

 pursued at every season of the year, and the size of 

 the captured fish annually diminishes, whereas, as Dr. 

 Bean has said, the migratory character of the shad 

 protects them for perhaps nine or ten months of the 

 year. They seek the deep water regions and do not 



