6 INLAND FISHERIES COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 



matter: it only remains for the intelligent and disinterested portion 

 of the community to Judge for themselves if we are right or wrong. 

 It is not particularly encouraging for intelligent persons to make a 

 study of a subject, report the same to the best of their ability, and 

 have the same entirely ignored by those under whose orders they act, 

 and to whom they look for support. Why the fishery interest of the 

 State, from year to year, should be left in the hands of a clique, who 

 are either notoriously prejudiced or lamentably ignorant of the sub- 

 ject, is a question that the peojjle of this State may well look into, 

 and so long as this state of affairs continues we may look for no 

 change for the better. Slowly, but surely, however, the general pub- 

 lic are being enlightened on the question, and it is reflected in the 

 action of the legislature in the j^ast three years. First, a close-time 

 law was passed from April 1st to August 1st, on all traps and heart 

 nets in Narragansett Bay, from Narragansett Lower Pier to Sakonnet 

 Point; next, a close-time from the same dates including all the waters 

 of the State; also, a proper law protecting lobsters of less than ten 

 (10) inches in length. Other states make it ten and one-half (10|-). 

 All this is encouraging, and in the future will no doubt be improved 

 upon; and when the people of this State, and their representatives in 

 the General Assembly are aroused to the fact that in the last twenty 

 years they have allowed the Bay fisheries to be depleted for the benefit 

 of a handful of individuals, to the detriment of the whole commu- 

 nity, they will abolish all fixed nets, save fykes with a limit of leaders 

 and capacity, gill nets unless with a certain size of mesh (not less 

 than four inches), prohibit traps save in a few localities and these with 

 a heavy license, allow sweep seines with three-inch mesh, and purse 

 seining under restrictions of lines as set forth in our last report, and 

 abolish all heart nets, so called, or any approach to any such contriv- 

 ance. Then the people of the State of Rhode Island will have ac- 

 complished a good work, and the fish that a bountiful nature sends to 

 our shores will be as abundant, as ever, to be taken by all who have 

 the industry to seek them in a legitimate way, our home markets sup- 

 plied better by such means than they are now, (for most of our fresh 

 fish come from Boston and New York). 



