20 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OK FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



ber would be of much greater benefit to the fish, and would help materially 

 to prevent their destruction. There cannot be too much effort made to 

 have such a close season established. The launch that we used worked 

 well most of the time. 



[Under date of IMay 11, 1892.] 



AVent to Rio Vista, taking Deputy Babcock with me, to look after the 

 fishermen arrested on April 25th. The defense put in a demurrer that 

 the Code did not cover the case. The demurrer w-as sustained. It is 

 the old question of "every jjerson who shall cast, extend, or set any 

 seine or net of any kind for the catching of," the word " fish " being 

 omitted from Section 636. This section should be amended, as it is 

 meaningless, owing to the omission of the word " fisli." 



[Under date of June 17, 1892.] 



Taking Deputy Babcock with me, I went to Belmont, where we were 

 joined by Deputy Lindsey. We took a boat from Belmont to the Mor- 

 gan Oj'ster Co.'s camp at the mouth of the slough, and we sailed from 

 there in one of the company's oyster boats, dressed as fishermen, and 

 overhauled the Chinese at South Belmont. Their catch was free of 

 fish, and the shrimps were the smallest I have seen. From South Bel- 

 mont we sailed to the mouth of Redwood City Slough, and overhauled 

 the two boats of the Quan Man Lee & Co., and arrested the ten men, 

 as their catch was fully one third small fish. The head man, Ah One, 

 ofTered Babcock and mj'self the money they would have to pay if fined, 

 and used every endeavor to get us to take the money and let them go. 

 We took them before Justice Welch, who held them to answer. 



[Under date of June 29, 1892.] 



With Deputy Babcock in the launch " Rustler," we went to Hunter's 

 Point and overhauled the Chinese camp. We overhauled one junk on 

 the bay that had Chine?e sturgeon lines and sturgeon freshly caught. 

 There were three men in the boat. I left the launch and took the China- 

 men to Pacific Wharf in their own junk. * * * 



I would suggest that the Commission request the next Legislature to 

 pass a law prohibiting the catching of shrimps in set nets, and also pro- 

 hibiting the catching of shrimps for the purpose of drying, and prohibit- 

 ing the shipping, having in possession, or offering for sale, or exporting 

 any dried shrimps. 



[Under date of July 1, 1892.] 



Upon several occasions your honorable Board has requested a more 

 detailed report of my visits to the markets. It is, however, a rather 

 monotonous form to give the names of all the stalls visited each week. 

 I visit them all, each morning or during the day when I am in the city, 

 and have found no violation of the law in any of them for months. The 

 work is very necessary and is carefully done, and I am unable to give 

 any facts or information from these visits, other than to report that the 

 law, so tar as the dealers are concerned, is observed. I cannot arrest 

 any of the dealers because they have sturgeon that have been caught 

 with Chinese sturgeon lines. The law does not cover the offering for 

 sale of any such fish. I hope, therefore, that you will not hold me as 

 being indifferent to your instructions that I did not mention the name 

 of each stall each w'eek. 



