FISH LAWS OF STATES BORDERING ON MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVERS: 
A DIGEST OF STATUTES RELATING TO THE PROTECTION OF FISHES AND 
OTHER COLD-BLOODED AQUATIC ANIMALS. 
By Emerson Srrinauam, Assistant, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. 
INTRODUCTION. 
In 1917 there was issued a digest of laws of Mississippi River 
States.¢ Thisis now revised to January 1, 1919, and extended tocover 
all States touching the Ohio River, thus taking in Indiana, Ohio, West 
Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Some additional information has been 
inserted because of repeated inquiries received during the past two 
years. 
: In order to keep the pamphlet within reasonable bounds certain - 
subjects have usually been omitted. These are: 
(a) Declarations that the title to fish and other wild animals is in 
the State. 
(b) Prohibitions against contamination of waters. The subject of 
pollution has been covered in a comprehensive manner by Public 
Health Bulletin No. 87 of the United States Public Health Service, 
entitled “Stream Pollution,” prepared by Stanley D. Montgomery 
and Earle B. Phelps. 
(c) Special provisions for counties and other subdivisions, except 
in some cases where they are evidently of interest to a considerable 
number of people. 
(d) Complicated details of restrictions on commercial fishing in 
some cases, though an effort has been made to indicate all laws on 
commercial fresh-water fishing. 
(e) Laws for salt-water fishing. 
(f) Penalties, administration, and procedure, including authority 
to arrest, seize unlawful implements, rewards for information as to 
violations, forgery of-licenses, provisions for witnesses, limitations on 
times within which actions may be commenced, sale or destruction 
of things confiscated, and disposition of fines, fees, or other payments 
to officials. 
(g) Requirement that licenses be available for exhibition to 
wardens at the time of fishing. 
(h) Laws against having prohibited tackle in possession and against 
having fish in possession smaller than the legal limit, or during closed 
seasons, or in excess of bag limit, or if caught unlawfully. These pro- 
visions are of the greatest importance as aids to enforcement, but 
ordinarily they do not interest the law-abiding citizen. 
a Emerson Stringham: Fish Laws of Mississippi River States. Report, U.S. Commissioner of Fish- 
eries for 1916, Appendix LV, document No. 840, 16 p. 1917. 
é 5 
