Tulian. — Louisiana Fish Conservation 119 



Louisiana has a most excellent close season law for the 

 protection of its three most valuable commercial species 

 of fresh-water fish. These seasons were fixed primarily to 

 cover the greater portion of the spawning period of the 

 paddle-fish, buffalo-fish and catfish respectively. It pro- 

 hibits the taking of paddle-fish every year between the 

 1st day of January and the 15th day of July; the taking 

 of all species of buffalo-fish between the 15th day of Feb- 

 ruary and the 15th day of April, and all fresh water cat- 

 fish between the 15th day of May and 15th day of July. 

 In the case of the paddle-fish, the close season extends 

 some months beyond the time when the last of them have 

 finished spawning. This was found advisable, however, as 

 a precaution against a former practice of selling dressed 

 catfish as paddle-fish during the catfish close season. Be- 

 sides the exceptional high value and ever growing scarc- 

 ity of this species were considered additional good rea- 

 sons for the close season of six and one-half months of 

 every year. A close season of only two months for the 

 buffalo-fish and cat-fish each was fixed with the full real- 

 ization that a considerable number of both species found 

 in the southern portions of the state would have spawned 

 before the close season had commenced, while a great 

 many of those in the northern sections would not have 

 finished by the end of the same. However, it was hoped, 

 that the results attained by this somewhat shortened 

 season would justify the belief that it was unnecessary 

 to inflict a close season longer than two months, for each 

 one of these species, upon those engaged in exploiting the 

 commercial fresh water fish resources of Louisiana. 

 Such appears to have been the case. 



Further protective measures, adopted to work in con- 

 junction with our close seasons and other commercial 

 fresh water fish laws, provide: 



1. If any species of fresh water catfish, or buffalo-fish, 

 less than twelve inches in length are taken by any legal 

 methods, they must be immediately returned to the 

 waters from which taken without avoidable injury. 



