American Fisheries Society. 1^1 



Mr. Tomlin: That can be explained easily enough. Wis- 

 consin and Michigan had a law that no net should be set within 

 three miles of shore lines — 



Mr. Whitaker: You are mistaken about Michigan, as we 

 have no such law. 



Mr. Bell: You are mistaken about Wisconsin also. 



Mr. Tomlin: In each of these states nets were seized that 

 were within the limits. 



Mr. Dickerson: They have in Michigan in two or three 

 cases, seized nets- and destroyed them, but in every case there 

 was a violation of the laws of Michigan. The fishermen did not 

 respect the laws of the state. There is no question in my mind 

 that if the commercial fishermen would strip their fish and replant 

 the eggs it would be a help not only to the commissions but it 

 would go a long ways towards helping to maintain our present 

 fisheries and again restock the waters. But I am afraid it would 

 be a hard matter to educate them up to it. In 1885 the whitefish 

 product of Michigan was almost 9,000,000 pounds. That pro- 

 duct has decreased at the rate of over 1,000,000 pounds a year 

 until in 1895 it was only a little over 3,000,000 pounds. Now, 

 the commercial fishermen of Michigan have seen their fish slip- 

 ping away from them and yet they come to the legislature and 

 ask that the State of Michigan pass a law compelling them to do 

 what they know they ought to have done, and in no single case 

 have they stripped a single fish or done anything towards pre- 

 serving the waters. It seems to me it ought to be to the interest 

 of the commercial fishermen to do everything that we have 

 recommended. 



Another thing, if we have a close season during the spawning 

 season, such a thing as that would not be necessary. We have 

 just passed a law in Michigan making a close season. The fish 

 now will strip themselves and if the commercial fishermen in all 

 the states bordering upon the Great Lakes would help to enact 

 a law protecting the fish during the time of their spawning, 

 nature will then do what you ask the fishermen to do because 

 the fish will lay their own eggs instead of being stripped. I can 

 see readily what a great benefit it would be if what you suggest 

 was performed but when men won't do it in their own interests 

 when they have declined repeatedly for a dozen years to do it, I 

 cannot see how under the sun the United States government or 

 the State of Michigan or any Fish Commission can educate them 



