40 
to any of them, the methods of fishing may be such as 
in a large measure to shut them off from their spawning 
grounds. Under such a state of things artificial propa 
gation on adequate scale could be no longer carried on for 
the reason that we would have no ripe fish from which to 
draw supplies of eggs. 
Now, what is true in regard to our river species is 
alike true in regard to all the coast species whenever 
the operations of the fisheries are such as to intercept 
in considerable measure the movement of mature fish to 
their spawning grounds. The necessity of the regula- 
tion of the fisheries by law is apparent in every case 
where a knowledge of the habits and movements of the 
fishes of our coastal waters is such as to indicate that 
existing methods do seriously interrupt or interfere with 
their approach to their spawning grounds. What shall 
be the character of the protective regulations required 
in the interest of the fisheries must be based upon a 
complete knowledge of the life history of the species. 
In regard to many of our coastal species, we are 
approaching a time when it will be possible to give con- 
clusive information upon this subject which may serve 
as a basis for such regulations as the conditions of the 
fisheries may require. 
You are all aware that the sentiment as to the neces- 
sity of protective regulations in reference to the coast 
fisheries is now active and aggressive. When the alle- 
gation is made that there is a material decline in the 
products of our fisheries, the fishermen who fear the re- 
sults of hasty legislation based upon inconclusive data 
reasonably ask for the evidence as to the decline in the 
coast fisheries which warrants the attempt to interfere by 
law with interests which employ a large number of men, 
a large investment of capital, and which yield products 
which are very important to the community. 
In considering the statistics of our fisheries we may 
consider the fisheries as a whole and by a comparison 
——— aie 
