44 KKPdKT OF STATE BOARD OF FISH COMMISSIONERS. 



not sufficient to justify its capture for at least some years to come. The 

 passing of this fish is a striking example of what unrestricted capture 

 may mean to any of the food fishes in our waters. At one time sturgeon 

 were so plentiful that they had no market value, but by reason of 

 wasteful methods, they became one of the highest priced fish in the 

 markets, quite beyond the means of the masses. During the past two 

 years this Commission has made a number of arrests and secured convic- 

 tions for the possession of sturgeon roe as well as of the fish themselves. 

 There were no systematic efforts made to continue these violations, 

 but spasmodic attempts to take advantage of conditions and bring 

 a few fish into market under cover. The artificial propagation of this 

 fish, which has been carried on to a limited extent in this country, and 

 in Germany and Russia, has met with but moderate success, it being an 

 extremely difficult matter to catch such large fish and retain them until 

 they have reached the proper degree of ripeness at which they can be 

 spawned. The work of artificial propagation being attended with con- 

 siderable expense, and other desirable food fishes, such as shad, striped 

 bass, and black bass, having become so abundant, we believe that the 

 restoration of the sturgeon can be effected through the slower but inex- 

 pensive way of natural increase. 



ABALONES. 



During the last session of the Legislature a vigorous attempt was 

 made by interested parties to reduce the restrictions that were, in 1901, 

 placed upon the taking of abalones. Notwithstanding that there was 

 but one firm represented in this contest, and that its employes are 

 principally Chinese and Japanese, a great deal of influence was brought 

 to bear and many compromises were offered, but the representatives 

 from all the counties along whose shores these fish are found were firmly 

 united in favor of retaining the present law without amendment, and 

 refused to recede one iota from their position. Indiscriminate and un- 

 restricted fishing had almost exterminated these fish, and it is yet too 

 soon to permit any concessions. Generally speaking, the law has been 

 respected. Our deputies have made a total of seventeen arrests and 

 succeeded in getting convictions in nearly every case, showing that public 

 sentiment in the counties where these fish are found is against any 

 change in the present law. 



BLACK BASS. 



The work of collecting black bass and of distributing them to suitable 

 bodies of water throughout the State has been carried on faithfully and 

 intelligently. In the fall of 1902 we planted upward of 3,000 adult fish, 

 all of which, with few exceptions, were taken from the Daly pond, in 

 El Dorado County, seven miles from Folsom, and were captured with 



