194 American Fisheries Society 



ADDRESS OF THE HON. J. CHAS. LINTHICUM. 



"When one reflects upon the numerous difficulties the 

 separate commonwealths have experienced in securing 

 and enforcing protective measures, when he realizes that 

 for over a hundred years these individual states have been 

 struggling with this problem, during which time — in the 

 majority of instances — they have failed to secure satis- 

 factory regulations, he will be convinced that the National 

 Government alone is the only power that can effectively 

 cope with the situation. 



"The causes of the failure upon the part of the states 

 to protect their food fish may be divided into three 

 classes : 



1. Insufficient laws. 



2. Inefficient administration of these laws, 



3. Conditions beyond the jurisdiction of the state to 

 control. 



Insufficient Laws. 



In many states I find that the administration of laws 

 for the protection of food fish is entrusted to the head 

 of a Fish and Game Department. Too often the general 

 inclination of such officials is to treat the subject as a 

 sporting proposition and to give it more attention from 

 that standpoint than from the point of view of the com- 

 mercial fisherman. While the sporting end of the propo- 

 sition concededly merits attention, in a majority of cases 

 the real interests of the people are centered in its com- 

 mercial aspects. The commercial fisheries thus neglected 

 by the official who should be primarily interested and 

 whose duty it is to initiate legislation for their protection 

 and development, wane and languish and eventually cease 

 to be an important economic asset. 



But even where state officials realize the importance 

 of protecting the commercial fisheries (and this protec- 

 tion involves legislation curtailing some rights at present 

 enjoyed) such legislation is sure to meet with formidable 

 opposition. When such fights come before the legislature 

 the fishermen are usually in possession of the sympathy 

 and votes of those members from their particular section. 



