144 Thirtieth Annual Meeting; 



NEW PENNSYLVANIA LAWS FOR THE PROTECTION 

 OF FOOD FISH. 



BY DR. BUSHEOD WASHINGTON JAMES, (a. M., LL. D.), 

 Of Pennsylvania. 



For a number of years the Pennsylvania Fish Commissioners 

 and the Pennsylvania Fish Protective Association have ])een 

 working in harmony to induce the Legislature to aid them by 

 law in protecting food fish from destruction. Time after time 

 bills have been laid before our law makers, and some have been 

 passed, which aimed at guarding the fish from depredation. 



The United States Fish Commission has spent large sums of 

 money and much scientific labor in ])r()pagating and distrilniting 

 the most desirable kinds of fish in numberless streams and rivers 

 along either coast as well as in the interior states. Yet their 

 efforts have been but ])artially successful because of the persis- 

 tence of fishermen and other sportsmen who will in season and 

 out of season, catch the half grown and even very young fry of 

 those which have been carefully hatched and planted for future 

 benefit. The two societies named have used their utmost endea- 

 vor to aid in keeping the few laws that have been passed but they 

 felt their inefficiency because of tlie imperfection of the Legis- 

 lation. 



Several times they have jointly tried to have a certain set of 

 laws passed which they codified with most careful consideration 

 of every point requisite to secure the much desired results. But 

 until this year efforts have been almost in vain, notwithstanding 

 the earnest personal attention given l)y several members of the 

 Board of Fish Commission and of our society. The writer was 

 for years chairman of the committee appoined to formulate a 

 new code of laws and to carrv them through. When he liecame 

 president of the Pennsylvania Fisli Protective Association he 

 appointed another committee on Legislation of which Mr. 

 Howard F. Chase is cliairman. This committee has acted with 

 a joint committee from the Board of State Fish Commissioners, 

 Mr. William E. Meehan, chairman. It is with satisfaction there- 

 fore that he finds the laws actually passed and made available 



