30 



f'.AI-lFOHXIA FISH AM) GAMK. 



CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



A publication devoted to the conserva- 

 tion of wild life and published quarterly 

 by the California State Fish and Game 

 Commission. 



Sent free to citizens of the State of Cali- 

 fornia. Offered in exchange for ornitho- 

 logical, mammalogical and similar period- 

 icals. 



The articles published in California Fish 

 AND Game are not copyrighted and may be 

 reproduced in other periodicals, provided 

 due credit is given the California Pish and 

 Game Commission. Editors of newspapers 

 and periodicals are invited to make use of 

 pertinent material. 



All material for publication should be 

 sent to H. C. Bryant, Museum of Verte- 

 brate Zoology, Berkeley, Cal. 



February 3, 1919. 



"Game laws are not passed with the idea 

 of furnishing sport for a limited number 

 of people, but to protect useful birds and 

 animals for the benefit of the people as a 

 whole." 



THE 1916-1918 BIENNIAL. 



Alrhougli due to war economy the 1916- 

 IS l)iennial report of the Bonrd of Fish 

 and Game Commissioners is not so large 

 or so attractively colored as the last re- 

 port, it, nevertheless, contains some inter- 

 esting facts regarding the activities, 

 receipts, and disbursements of the com- 

 mission during the past biennial period. 



Outstanding features of the work of 

 the past two years have been the erec- 

 tion of a splendid new fish hatchery in 

 Inyo County, the building of a new patrol 

 boat to be used in enforcing the laws in 

 southern California watei"s and in the 

 carrying on of fishery investigations, the 

 enlargement of the activities of the com- 

 mercial fishery department, including the 

 administration of the kelp industry, an 

 extensive educational and publicity cam- 

 paign and the splendid results obtained 

 in enforcing fish and game laws. 



New laws enacted by the 1917 legisla- 

 ture have proved valuable. The Supreme 

 Court decisions sustaining the state law 

 prohibiting parcel post shipments of 

 game has effectively stopped a much-used 

 method of evading fish and game laws. 

 The spiked-buck law continues to contrib- 

 ute much toward the conservation of deer, 

 and at the same time has reduced the 

 number of hunting accidents. Seventeen 

 new game refuges created in 1917, com- 

 prising a total of 839,180 acres, have 



Im'cu well r('<;rivi'd by the public and arc 

 siTviiig as safe breeding places for game. 



The output of the lish hatcheries has 

 beeu very gratifying, reaching a total of 

 25,697,420 in 1917 and 36,425,898 in 1916. 

 A 16 per cent increase in the number of 

 trout fry reared has been attained. 



Scientific iiivpstlgations of the fisheries 

 have boon imdortaken and already valu- 

 able light on the habits and life history 

 of the albacore have been obtained. The 

 educational and publicity work of the 

 commission is I>oing well received by the 

 public. 



The principal recommendation for new 

 legislation has reference to discretionary 

 powers. Such legislation enabling the 

 oominission to close seasons, reduce bag 

 limits, prohibit certain kinds of fishing 

 api)aratus, and in general take such im- 

 mediate step« as will in their opinion 

 aftord prompt and effective relief aiul 

 save from destruction by human hand 

 that part of the wild life which has sur- 

 vived the adversity of nature, is pointed 

 out as the greatest need. 



Only a small edition of the biennial 

 has been printed and it will be available 

 only to those sufficiently interested to 

 write to the commission for it. 



FISH AND GAME COIVI IVl ISSION NEEDS 

 PLENARY POWERS. 



Tlie most important piece of fish and 

 game legislation which the legislature will 

 be called upon to enact this spring will 

 pertain to the granting of plenary powers 

 to the Fish and Game Commission. The 

 need for this legislation has already been 

 pointed out in these pages. The commis- 

 sion is not seeking more power, but simply 

 a chance to make regulations which will 

 allow better administration of the state's 

 wild life resources. It should be clearly 

 understood that regulations can not be 

 enforced at will by the commission, but 

 only after a hearing has been held and 

 the regulations signed by the governor. 

 The proper administration of the Migra- 

 tory Bird Treaty Act is dependent upon 

 regulations issued by the Department of 

 Agriculture under authority granted it 

 by Congress. To make the administra- 

 tion of state laws efficient, similar powers 

 should be granted the commission man- 

 aging the fish and game resources. 



