70 



FISH AND GxVME COMMISSION. 



great added protection was given by adding two weeks to the spring 

 closed season. Each two years, when the legislature met during that 

 I'eriod, some measure was passed to give striped bass more protection 

 without waiting to see the result of the protection given two years 

 earlier. As the striped bass do not spawn until they are four years of 

 age, no noticeable effect of a protective measure could be seen in two 

 years, except possibly in an increased number of very young fish. The 

 measure of 1923, adding two weeks to the closed season, did not go 

 into effect that j^ear until late July, which was after the spawning run 



/6 



9) 



o> 



a 



Fig. 12. Graph showing the annual catch of striped bass from 1916 to 1925. 



of bass was over for that year, so that we can not have any four-year 

 fish, which average a little less than three pounds, resulting from the 

 spawning fish first protected by the two weelvs closed season, until in 

 the year 1928. 



To give striped bass more protection now would not only be taking 

 action without awaiting the results of the last legislation, but it would 

 be done in the face of good evidence that the bass have already 

 responded to the protection given them in the years prior to 1923 and 

 are now actuallv increasing in abundance. 



