26o Rooscrrll Wild Life .-IiiihiIs 



lake for producing both game and food fishes. It seems unlikely that the existing 

 physical or biotic conditions in the lake will be disturbed to any great extent by 

 man ; hence at least for the present both kinds of fishes should be given a chance. 

 A policy for the future development of the fish culture of this lake should 

 include the following features : 



1. Continued investigation of the waters by resident naturalists, as it is only 

 by prolonged study that its fisheries problems can be properly solved and a sound 

 policy of its management developed and maintained. 



2. A constructive and efficient policy is needed for the State hatchery at 

 Constantia, and for its plantings in the lake. As Dr. Kendall ('24, p. 337) remarks : 

 " Too often fish hatcheries, as commonly conducted, have depleted the local stock 

 of breeding fishes in their immediate vicinity, in order to stock other remote waters. 

 As the customary planting methods are so frequently unsatisfactory this waste 

 has tended to spread depletion radially from the hatcheries." (Cf. also Adams, 

 '25, pp. 383-385, for an example of this abuse in Yellowstone National Park). 



3. To maintain Pike Perch, which is the favorite angling fish, Fish Preserves 

 should be established on the main breeding grounds of the important inflowing 

 streams, and the pollution of Chittenango Creek and other creeks must be pre- 

 vented. It may be necessary to make preserves of certain islands, such as 

 Shackelton Shoals, in order to maintain the Tullibee. 



4. The public needs education and demonstration of the value of the Tullibee, 

 Carp. Ling, and possibly other little appreciated kinds of fish, in relation to the 

 fish of the lake as a whole. 



5. A fresh start should be made by both the angling and commercial food 

 fish interests, to work out some practicable method by which netting of the waters 

 should be conducted, so as to control the excessive increase of the less desirable 

 and over-mature fish, and to make room for the more desirable ones. Both kinds 

 of fishing could be improved by such a plan of co-operation. Possibly a license. 

 under a heavy bond, is the only method that would succeed, if "politics" can be 

 eliminated from law enforcement. Possibly the only solution is "publicity" for 

 the political interference with law enforcement, which is one of the greatest 

 difficulties in all conservation projects. It is only when there is elimination 

 of "political" interference with law enforcement that we can expect ])iracy to 

 decline. There is too much talk of "catching pirates" and of "law enforcement" 

 that is camouflage for "politics," and such talk diverts attention from the main 

 issue and other important matters, such as fish preserves, the control of "cull fish," 

 the lamprey problem and pollution. It is even possible that a certain amount of 

 "illegal" fishing has been a distinct fish cultural advantage to the lake, when no 

 rcallv intelligent Icgrd method has been jiractisctl for harvesting certain abundant 

 kinds I if m;iturc tisii. 



BREEDING HABITS OF ONEIDA LAKE FISHES 



I'.y T. L. IlANKI N.SOX 



Our observations on the bri-rdiiig habits of the fishes of Oneida Lake were 

 few, because the field work had U> be done in late summer when most of the 

 species were through s])a\vning, I'.ut considernble in fdnn.itinn was obtained from 



