THE NECESSITY OF THE STATE MAKING LAWS 



FOR THE PROTECTION OF FOOD FISHES 



AFTER STOCKING WATERS BY THE 



STATE OR UNITED STATES. 



BY OREGON MILTON DENNIS. 

 Secretary Maryland State Game and Fish Protective Association 



To the American Fisheries ISociety assembled at Erie. Fa. 



Gentlemen : That there is immediate necessity for the co- 

 operation of the various states to come to the aid of the fish cul- 

 tiirists by the passage of proper laws for the protection of food 

 fish after their propagation and distribution in the waters is, I 

 think, admitted by all. The whole scheme of fish protection, pri- 

 marily, is first to protect the parent fish during the spawning 

 season, and then to protect the young until they arrive at suffi- 

 cient age and size to be used as food. As is well known, every 

 device that the brain of man can conceive of. has btvn lirought 

 into use to take the largest number of fish, without regard to 

 size, with the least possible expense to the catchers or fisherman. 



Various and numerous laws have been enacted to protect the 

 young fish, but the enforcement of these laws is difficult and in 

 many cases, impossible of enforcement. Admitting, then the 

 necessity of the protection of the young fish after having been 

 placed in the Avaters by the states and the United States, the 

 question that confronts us is how? I believe that if it conief> 

 within the constitutional powers of the United States, congress 

 should pass suitable interstate laws for the protection of fish. I 

 have not had time to go into this question, so am not prepared 

 to pass on this. But something has got to be done. In many 

 states the appropriation of money for the propagation of fish is 

 a sheer waste. It seems so strange to me that a legislature which 

 will appropriate money for increasing the fish supply in its 

 waters, still refuses to make an appropriation for their protec- 

 tion. This is so in Maryland at least. 



Now as to the remedies : 



1st. Laws should Ije passed in every state placing a size 

 limit on all food fish, prohibiting the catching, having in pos- 



