[S] PROTECTION TO ATLANTIC FISHERIES. 229 



ing the setting of any nets in District waters after June 1 each season 



rT' r'"::as^rc,ra:ti''"'''"'" ""'"-" """" "'^ p™«i..ction:T r 



eri" TnThf n!^l\^ ^r'J'",*" ''' "dvantage of our comn,ereial flsU- 

 erie.s and m the interest of those who are employed in them if the 

 regnlafon and control of our inshore, river, and inlan 1 flSes ^'t 

 entirely under the jurisdiction of Consress. This is especial ydesTr-rWe 



wa e B^vtaluh: r '%^T"r^ "' ""''' "^^ ""^ Chesa'peake'aud M^ 

 ware Bays and t^he Great Lakes which lie within or form the boundaries 

 ot two or more States, or of rivers like the Roanoke, the PotZa' the 

 S,^qnehanna, the Delaware, and the Connecticut, which trave "'set 

 eral States, and which, in their difterent reaches, are under several inrt 

 usually antagonized jurisdictions. Unfortunatdv, under e^Itt,„ 

 terpretations of the relations of State aud Fede-ril juried et on It h 

 probably not competent for Congress to enact laws re^u atrnrthe dt 



~f ?c"'^""" "■"• "™' '^^•"'"^^- ^"' «- estawrshm r bv C t 

 gress of a Commission of Fish and Fisheries for the purpose o^ eon 

 .Inctingan inquiry iuto the causes of the alarming decibel, ".r^ea 



in results of the utmostv^bferbtht streTd";' ^ w^Z! In'^-^J 

 the fisheries and may, as an indirect consequence, lead tl be 'nact 

 meiit and enforcement of necessary legislation on th; pTrt rf th^s'ate ' 

 The causes of the rapid decline iu our coast and ri-er fisheries hive 



i' the",:::: 're:o";.r-"';'r c " ^^' ^"^"* ^"^ -<=" ""t-^ . 



n tne annual reports of the Commissioner that men have learned to 

 know at least the conditions which unfavorably influence the fishe I " 

 a^d o„r State legislative assemblies are at last awakened to the nes' 



ity of legislation for the purpose of regulating the fisheries imnrorint 

 their condition, and protecting them from actill spoliation ' ' ' 



r=ui^;r-Lrs=^^ 



Ihe attention of the committee is earnestly directed to the fact th.t 

 >vearenow expending considerable sums of monranunallv^ n ?il 



TtC ™rel^*""r f'' '" »"^^^'-' -<' ""eslm"tim 



ductive fisheries Zr """' ""^ "'' ^'^"'''"« '« ""''''' » '««t»^e pro- 

 uuctive fisheries, the Government has erected, and year after vear is ,.nn 



work of artificial propagation and planting. In other words, 



