76 American Fisheries Society 



December 1st until about March 15th or 30th, according 

 to climatic conditions. 



In spite of the short season, it is admitted by fishermen 

 who are familiar with the present spoonbill cat conditions 

 in White Lake, as compared with a few years ago, that 

 they are fast disappearing from this lake and other wa- 

 ters of the State. The situation appeared so grave that 

 our Commission had introduced in the State Legislature 

 a bill, which was passed, making a close season on these 

 fish from January 1st to July 15th of each year. Not 

 that it is likely that spawning spoonbill cat will be found 

 in any Louisiana waters as late as July 15th, but this is 

 necessary to prevent the capture and sale of both catfish 

 and spoonbill cat during the close season on catfish. 



In spawning season the spoonbill are seen in schools 

 on the borders of the lake close to the hard sandy bot- 

 toms. But little is known of the food of this fish; they 

 are bottom feeders and their chief food is probably min- 

 ute vegetable and animal organisms, found by stirring 

 the mud and vegetation with their spatulate snout. 



Previous to last year large quantities of both species 

 were caught, dressed and sold as spoonbill during the cat- 

 fish close season, the flesh and appearance of both being 

 very similar when dressed and the heads removed. 



It is more apparent that such valuable fish as the 

 spoonbill or the sturgeon should never be caught solely 

 for the purpose of selling their flesh at from four to ten 

 cents a pound and that these fish should be protected for 

 the great value of the eggs which they produce. 



The fishermen in Louisiana are now being paid from 

 $1.50 to $2.00 per pound for the spoonbill cat roe. We 

 estimate that the value of this industry to the fishermen 

 of the State at the present time, would aggregate ap- 

 proximately $200,000 per annum. 



We believe that every effort should be put forth, both 

 by state and federal governments, to propagate these fish 

 and to build up this industry which promises to be one 

 of unlimited magnitude. The State of Louisiana is now, 

 and will continue, giving it its closest attention. 



