THE RELATIONS BETWEEN STATE FISH COMMISSIONS AND COMMERCIAL 



FISHERMEN. 



BY W. E. MEEHAN. 



It must be obvious to every person engaged or interested in the work of fish-culture 

 that the relations between the mass of the commercial fishermen and the State fish 

 commissions are not as cordial as they should be. In fact, to put it plainly, in many 

 places these relations are strained to such a point as to practically amount to open 

 antagonism on the part of the former against the latter. It is also undeniable that 

 there is a large class of citizens some of whom can not be regarded in many respects 

 as unprogressive openly opposed or indifferent to the work of the fish commissions, 

 and some even go the length of actively opposing the enactment and enforcement of 

 stringent laws for the protection of fish. This antagonism is so potent as often to 

 exercise a sinister influence on legislation. 



In many States it is difficult and often impossible to secure the passage of efficient 

 fish-protective laws, while measures to legalize the employment of the most destructive 

 devices for taking fish find numerous supporters and comparatively easy passage. 

 Few States grant liberal appropriations for fish-cultural work, and I know of none 

 that grant as much as could be profitably expended. In Pennsylvania the last, 

 legislature adjourned without making any appropriation at all; and in Michigan, 

 where fish-cultural work is carried on with exceptional effectiveness, if I have been 

 correctly informed, the last legislature cut the usual appropriation in half. These are 

 not encouraging signs for the future of fish-cultural work, and it behooves those 

 interested to find out the cause of the trouble and remedy it if they can. 



It has been less than thirty years since the establishment of fish commissions, but 

 in that time they have returned to the people many hundredfold the moneys which 

 they have expended. They have in countless instances prevented the extinction of 

 valuable food-fishes and have successfully introduced others equally valuable; they 

 have in many cases largely increased the supply and made fishing waters profitable 

 that were for years before financially unprofitable. But these things seem to weigh 

 very little with the mass of the commercial fishermen and those, who demand the 

 right to catch fish when, how, and where they please. 



By the united action of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, all destructive 

 devices were torn from the Delaware River at an expense of some $5,000, and through 

 heavy stocking on the part of the United States and the Pennsylvania fish commis- 

 sions, the shad industry of that stream was brought from a value of between $60,000 

 and $80,000 to nearly $500,000 at the nets every year a consumers' value of more than 

 $1,500,000. This magnificent result is well known throughout Pennsylvania; yet it 

 did not prevent the commercial and semi-commercial fishermen in other parts of the 



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