IMPORTANCE OF A PERMANENT POLICY IN STOCKING 

 INLAND WATERS. 



By John W. Titcomb, 

 State Fish Culturist of New York. 



Had I been requested to talk on this subject twenty years ago 

 I should have accepted the invitation with less hesitation than I 

 did for this occasion. The longer and more varied one's experience 

 in the conservation of the aquatic resources of this country, the 

 more apparent and complex become the difficulties which present 

 themselves when attempting to discuss the subject in a brief 

 address before an association which is national in scope. 



I shall therefore confine myself specifically to waters of the 

 latitude with which I am more familiar, but at the same time I 

 shall outline a plan which may be applied to all states. 



Just at this crisis in our history the fishery resources of the 

 country are receiving especial attention and many impractical 

 recommendations have been made by well intentioned persons 

 who are not familiar with the subject, as well as by some who, from 

 selfish motives, want to let down the bars to conservation and 

 to disregard the laws of nature which are the basis for regulations 

 in regard to the methods and seasons for taking fish. A recent 

 news item says that "By direction of the Governor of Wisconsin, 

 the Conservation Commission of that State will seine all rivers 

 within their jurisdiction for rough fish to combat the rising prices 

 of foodstuffs." Another item says that "Iowa will probably 

 be the first State to amend the laws in order to permit the free 

 use of rough fish in the Mississippi River. " College professors 

 have come forward with recommendations to loosen up on the 

 laws for the protection of fish during the present war. Incidentally 

 I may say that similar appeals are being made to those in authority 

 with reference to the taking of all kinds of game. 



In commenting on this let me say that proper regulations 

 for the protection of fish are as essential to the stocking of our waters 

 as is fish culture and all efforts relevant thereto, and that if the fishery 

 laws of the various states were fundamentally right before the war 

 they are just as essential today as they were then. 



