104 American Fisheries Society 



(5) Depleted streams can be restocked and new fisheries 

 developed by transplanting spawning alewives. 



(6) Alewives can be successfully hatched artificially. 



(7) Efficient laws are necessary for the proper uniform regula- 

 tion of the fishery. 



Discussion. 



Mr. John W. Titcomb, of New York, asked the following questions: 

 What is the ratio of males to females during the run? At what temperature 

 does the alewife spawn? What is the height of the highest successful dam, 

 and how is the current directed so as to attract the fish to the fishery? 

 Does each town make its own laws to regulate the fishery of its own district, 

 and do you expect the towns to conform to any uniform rule? 



Mr. Belding replied as follows: You will see one female followed by 

 six or seven males. In seining, one time, I took only two females in a hundred 

 fish. The fish we took spawning were in water at 72 degrees F., but we 

 did not begin in time for the first part of the run. The highest dam pro- 

 vided with a fishway in successful operation is about fifteen feet and the 

 breadth of the stream in this case is about 60 feet. There is no arrange- 

 ment for directing the current at this dam. At other places we have used 

 gratings during the run, which were hauled up when not needed. These 

 gratings or screens extend across the stream. Each town regulates its 

 own fishery entirely as it sees fit and the only check the state has on it is, 

 that after the town has once established an alewife fishery it must keep it 

 up and not allow it to deteriorate. It will be a very hard fight to get the 

 towns to conform, but I think it can be done in some way in which each 

 town will have the oversight of its own particular fishery, yet will be con- 

 trolled by uniform laws that will be amenable to local adaptation. The 

 minute we try to establish any system by which the Fish and Game Com- 

 mission will take over the control of the fishery, there will be opposition 

 in the town. 



