Wilson. — The White fish 91 



there being no direct protection by minimum size limit or 

 close season during spawning season, the size of mesh of 

 nets permitted in Lake Erie being the smallest known to be 

 used for commercial fishing for fish other than trout in that 

 lake. 



Let us now turn to the Empire state, producing as it does 

 only about ten per cent of the fish consumed within its 

 borders, relying upon state and province for the balance of 

 its requirements. Previous to 1909 there had been prac- 

 tically no restrictive legislation regarding size of gill nets to 

 be used, close season or minimum size limit — an open sea- 

 son with unrestricted market. In 1909 legislation was se- 

 cured in harmony with other states and provinces — close 

 season during spawning season and minimum size limit of 

 two pounds in the round. The old regulation regarding the 

 size of mesh of gill nets to be used was not disturbed by 

 statutory enactment, power being conferred with the com- 

 missioner to file with the Secretary of State an order in- 

 creasing the size of mesh of nets to be used. This, however, 

 was not done until two fishing seasons were passed, the 

 order when filed not taking effect until January 1, 1911. 

 One can readily see that commercial fishermen objected to a 

 law that previous to 1911 permitted sale of licenses to use 

 nets of such small mesh that the size limit of fish was vio- 

 lated; however, it must be said that the Lake Ontario fish- 

 ermen endorsed the regulation and the Lake Erie fishermen 

 said they did not wish to take immature fish under two 

 pounds in weight. In 1912, there was a codification of the 

 fish and game laws of the state; many hearings were given 

 by the able committee on codification, the friends of the 

 whitefish contending that the former regulation was fairly 

 satisfactory to the people and not unjust to the commercial 

 fishermen, confident that when a sufficient time had elapsed 

 to show results, these regulations, ably assisted as we have 

 been by state and national hatcheries would prove of great 

 advantage in the rehabilitation of the whitefish industry in 



