Fish Culture in Inland Waters 325 



In connection with some waters, whether or not it is economy to 

 restrict fishing to one or two game fishes when the waters abound 

 with other fishes valuable for food, or where, if once numerous 

 but now depleted, they can be replenished, is a question. 



Food resources are of vital importance in these days, as is recog- 

 nized by all. It would seem that although a lake may be yielding 

 a good crop of game fishes, which represent value in dollars and 

 cents, if that lake can be made to yield a supplementary crop also 

 representing monetary value, it would be good business to develop 

 it, at least for more or less local consumption, according to the 

 magnitude or character of the fishery, providing it is not detrimental 

 to the principal crop (figures 42, 44, 45). Moreover attention has 

 been called to the fact that the general game fish supply is decreasing 

 and its complete failure is only a matter of time unless something 

 constructive is done to check the decline. The interrelations and 

 interdependence of animal life in a body of water has already 

 been discussed to some length in this bulletin, as well as in many 

 other publications, and it should not be necessary to repeat it here; 

 but it may bear repetition to state that the decline of game fish may 

 not be wholly attributable to over-fishing, but that possibly it has been 

 hastened by an over-increase of some other species which the 

 decrease of game fish has permitted, and when nothing has been 

 done to check the less desirable kinds. In some instances, too, the 

 over-increase may have been reflected at last upon those species so 

 that there is general depletion. So, as has been shown, readjust- 

 ment of the balance is necessary. To ascertain the facts, in order 

 to attempt readjustment, calls for an investigation. It is rapidly 

 becoming expedient that an effort at readjustment be made, for so 

 far as the sport of anglers and food supply is concerned it becomes 

 not only economic waste but in some instances possible obstruction 

 to the conservation of some of those fishes for the preservation of 

 which present laws are intended. 



It would be both an economical and a conservative measure as 

 concerns the game fish, if some means could be devised by which the 

 people of a region could get the benefit of such surplus fish. 

 Formerly certain privileges in that direction were granted, and to 

 some extent the same may obtain today. Nearly twenty years ago 

 J. N. Cobb ('05) wrote: "Whenever possible without injury to 

 the sport fishing, the State has permitted the use of nets to some 

 extent, principally for the purpose of reducing the abundance of the 

 commoner species of fishes, which when in excessive numbers, do 

 serious damage to the game fish Iiy devouring spawn and fry. It 

 has been an exceedingly difficult matter to guard waters so extensive, 

 however, and as a result there is much illegal fishing." Undoubtedly 

 in some localities there are those who get the benefit of any fish 

 that can be caught by proper or illegal means, and under present 

 conditions enforcement of the laws is difficult, yet it does not seem 

 to be a rational or logical jjrocedure to deprive everyone of the 

 opportunity to augment the food supply because a few almse the 



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