﻿FISHERIES 
  OF 
  THE 
  COASTAL 
  WATERS 
  OF 
  FLORIDA. 
  .341 
  

  

  CONCLUSIONS 
  AND 
  SUGGESTIONS. 
  

  

  The 
  important 
  water 
  resources 
  within 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  Florida 
  and 
  

   along- 
  the 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  must 
  always 
  be 
  the 
  main 
  dependence 
  of 
  a 
  

   comparatively 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  population 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  attrac- 
  

   tions 
  to 
  the 
  visitors 
  who 
  annually 
  resort 
  to 
  this 
  region 
  for 
  health 
  and 
  

   pleasure; 
  and 
  if 
  these 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  preserved 
  some 
  legislation 
  is 
  necessary. 
  

   Already 
  the 
  alligator, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  and 
  valuable 
  of 
  the 
  

   water 
  animals 
  of 
  Florida, 
  is 
  lapidly 
  ajiproaching 
  extinction 
  owing 
  to 
  

   the 
  unrestricted 
  and 
  ofte^n 
  wanton 
  killing 
  during 
  recent 
  years, 
  and 
  other 
  

   important 
  products 
  may 
  share 
  the 
  impending 
  fate 
  of 
  the 
  alligator 
  unless 
  

   proper 
  attention 
  is 
  bestowed 
  on 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  their 
  protection. 
  

  

  FISHES. 
  

   The 
  only 
  fishery 
  for 
  food-fishes 
  that 
  seems 
  unnecessarily 
  destructive 
  

   is 
  that 
  for 
  mullet, 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  the 
  State's 
  fishery 
  i>roducts. 
  

   If 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  maintained 
  a 
  close 
  season 
  should 
  

   be 
  established, 
  covering 
  its 
  principal 
  spawning 
  period. 
  This 
  might 
  

   have 
  to 
  vary 
  somewhat 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  coasts. 
  

  

  TURTLES. 
  

   The 
  green 
  turtle, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  of 
  the 
  State's 
  fishery 
  

   products, 
  needs 
  protection 
  to 
  prevent 
  its 
  extermination. 
  For 
  a 
  term 
  of 
  

   years, 
  at 
  least, 
  the 
  animal 
  should 
  l)e 
  unmolested 
  during 
  the 
  period 
  when 
  

   it 
  seeks 
  the 
  shores 
  to 
  lay 
  its 
  eggs. 
  There 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  mininuim 
  limit 
  of 
  

   weight 
  for 
  turtles 
  that 
  are 
  taken 
  to 
  be 
  shipped 
  or 
  sold 
  locally, 
  in 
  order 
  

   that 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  immature 
  turtles 
  may 
  be 
  prevented. 
  The 
  per- 
  

   nicious 
  and 
  destructive 
  practice 
  of 
  gathering 
  the 
  eggs 
  of 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  

   loggerhead 
  turtle 
  should 
  be 
  prohibited. 
  

  

  OYSTERS. 
  

   Experience 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  oyster 
  supply 
  rests 
  

   largely 
  on 
  the 
  leasing 
  or 
  selling 
  of 
  grounds 
  on 
  which 
  oyster 
  cultivation 
  

   may 
  be 
  practiced. 
  The 
  oyster 
  resources 
  of 
  Florida 
  are 
  not 
  unlimited, 
  and 
  

   it 
  appears 
  desirable 
  to 
  provide 
  for 
  their 
  preservation 
  and 
  development 
  

   by 
  encouraging 
  oyster-culture 
  by 
  ])rivate 
  individuals. 
  The 
  present 
  

   Florida 
  law 
  has 
  in 
  it 
  much 
  to 
  commend 
  and 
  seems 
  to 
  make 
  ade(}uate 
  

   I)rovision, 
  under 
  present 
  re<[uirements, 
  for 
  oyster-planting 
  and 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  of 
  natural 
  grounds, 
  but 
  it 
  may 
  in 
  time 
  need 
  revision 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   provide 
  for 
  the 
  more 
  general 
  inauguration 
  of 
  artificial 
  cultivation. 
  Tt 
  

   is 
  essential, 
  however, 
  that 
  those 
  to 
  whom 
  i)lanting 
  privileges 
  are 
  granted 
  

   should 
  be 
  fully 
  protected 
  in 
  their 
  rights. 
  

  

  SF'OXGES. 
  

  

  The 
  methodsemployed 
  in 
  the 
  sponge 
  fishery 
  of 
  Florida 
  seriou.sly 
  affect 
  

   the 
  permanency 
  of 
  the 
  industry, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  the 
  intcests 
  of 
  

   all 
  concerned 
  would 
  be 
  greatly 
  promoted 
  if 
  cliangcs 
  wer«' 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  

   present 
  laws 
  governing 
  this 
  fishery, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  following: 
  

  

  To 
  increase 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  "> 
  inches 
  the 
  minimum 
  size 
  of 
  sponges 
  which 
  

   may 
  be 
  lawfully 
  taken, 
  and 
  to 
  enforce 
  the 
  law 
  against 
  the 
  selling 
  of 
  

  

  