AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 27 



pi'0]»ajialion, that the annual catcli of whitetish in Michij^an 

 waters diu*in<; the fiscal yoar ISMd was an inei-casc ovim- the 

 picvions year by nn^ro than 12 \)ov cent, and duiinj;- the year 

 lSi)7, the i)erci'nta<ie of increase over the preceding year was 

 in excess of '2'2, making an increase over the year 1805 by a 

 triile more than 38 per cent. 



Taking for my guide, the fluctuating condition of some of 

 our very important fisheries in years past, with reference to 

 their alternating jteriods of depreciation and enhancement, I 

 have made some study of the laws which i»ertained thereto, by 

 noting the results of various changes in so-called ])rotective 

 legal measures, and I am firmly convinced that a few wise laws, 

 -and their rigid enforcement, are just as essential to the future 

 development of our fishing industries, as is fish cultural work 

 itself. We have had some good laws passed for the protection 

 of the young whitefish. and also the immature specimens of 

 lake trout, but owing to defects and loopholes in these laws 

 but little has been accomplished in the way of enforcing them, 

 and up to witliin three years ago there was practically no en- 

 forcement of law at all for the protection of immature fish in 

 the Great Lakes. To me, this subject of protection is the 

 trunk of which all other fish cultural questions are but 

 brandies. The plan may never be perfected, even by succeed- 

 ing generations, but necessity will demand a more tliorough 

 understanding of the question of protection; and present con- 

 ditions, with the future outlook, seem to assure me that the 

 coming sages of political economy will engage their minds in 

 the solution of the problem, and the art and science of fish 

 culture will eventually become a part of the curriculum in our 

 Agricultural Colleges. Fish culture has reached that stage of 

 perfection where billions of fish can easily be hatched, but the 

 more important questions which now confront us are, how 

 can they be subsisted, protected and made to grow? Millions 

 and miVions of acres of productive water lie waiting to be con- 

 verted into fisli farms. 



It does seem a great step from this plane of perfection to the 

 next higher level, but these are the questions which address 

 themselves most gravely to the student of modern fish culture. 



Our Creator, in forming this earth, bequeatlied a far greater 

 portion to fish kind than to mankind, and plenteously stocked 

 the waters with fish life upon which man has partially de- 

 pended for his meat diet since the time of Peter, the Disciple 

 and Fisherman. 



Xow, is it not an alarming condition that as man's small 

 allotment of the earth's surface becomes more and more 

 crowded, the fish life in the public w-aters is gradually declin- 

 ing? There are manv fishes whose habits and charactei-istics 



