55 



Tlie rt-medies arc : 



Ist. Artiticial propagation to supph- the excessive drain 

 caused by increased population, and improved means of 

 capture. 



2nd. By prohibiting all lisliing with nets^ seines^ or fixed 

 apparatus for thirty-six hours in each week, during the mi- 

 grations of anadromus fishes, so as to give a sufficient num- 

 ber of breeding fish an opportunity of reaching their spawn- 

 ing grounds, (tliis is universally believed to be the most im- 

 portant step towards the preservation of our best food fishes.) 



3rd. By protecting the fish on tlieir spawning beds ; that 

 is, by prohibiting their capture as their spaw^ning seasons 

 approach (the habits of each species must determine the 

 period during which it should be protected.) 



4tli. By the apparatus of fish culture to [jrotect the eggs 

 and young fish from the causes of loss. 



5th. By regulating the size of the meshes of ucts and 

 seines, and by prohibiting the erection or use of "fish-traps" 

 or "fish-baskets," (we cannot too strongly urge tlio entire 

 abolition of "fish-tra})S.") 



We would recommend that a small tax be levied on seines, 

 nets and fixed apparatus used to capture fish, and that the 

 tax be in proportion to their capacity of destroying fish. — 

 Tho.se from whom this tax will be collected, will be tlie most 

 immediately efiected by the results of artificial propagation, 

 and should be ready to furnish some of the means to carry on 

 the hatching operations. 



We would recommend, in order to induce tlie construction 

 of "ponds," such as here-in-before described, that all seines 

 landed in such "ponds," be exempt from taxation for a cer- 

 tain ])eriod. 



We would also recommend, in order to better regulate 

 the ijshing, that all nets, seines, and fixed ap2Jaratuses, be 

 licensed, and that "Fish Wardens" be provided, whose 

 duties Avill be to see the laws enforced in the river districts, 

 and that provisions be made to ensure the observance of the 

 laws in the bay and navigable rivers. 



(Several instances have been reported to us, of parties com- 

 ing into our waters from other States, hauling large seines 



