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  the 
  covering 
  of 
  a 
  ledge 
  or 
  shoal 
  at 
  sea, 
  may 
  be 
  over-fished 
  

   to 
  such 
  a 
  degree 
  that 
  fishing 
  becomes 
  unprofitable, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  if 
  fishing 
  be 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  spawning 
  season. 
  This 
  

   statement 
  refers, 
  of 
  course, 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  fishes 
  which 
  feed 
  

   near 
  the 
  bottom. 
  A 
  familiar 
  example 
  is 
  the 
  abandonment 
  

   of 
  Massachusetts 
  Bay 
  by 
  the 
  halibut, 
  and 
  the 
  extension 
  of 
  

   the 
  fishery 
  into 
  very 
  d 
  jep 
  water. 
  

  

  Protection 
  to 
  the 
  lo^al 
  fishermen 
  may 
  therefore 
  require 
  

   the 
  regulation 
  by 
  law 
  of 
  definite 
  fishing-grounds 
  near 
  the 
  

   coast. 
  There 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  extensive 
  fisheries 
  

   prosecuted 
  by 
  menhaden 
  steamers 
  in 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Maine 
  

   were 
  prejudicial 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  fishermen 
  by 
  driving 
  the 
  fish 
  

   they 
  formerly 
  caught 
  for 
  bait 
  out 
  to 
  sea 
  and 
  beyond 
  the 
  

   reach 
  of 
  their 
  nets. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  reason 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  

   our 
  great 
  purse-seine 
  fisheries 
  for 
  menhaden 
  and 
  mackerel, 
  

   though 
  perhaps 
  not 
  causing 
  a 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  

   the 
  fish, 
  have 
  kept 
  them 
  farther 
  from 
  the 
  shore. 
  There 
  is 
  

   a 
  decided 
  disposition 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  intelligent 
  

   men 
  engaged 
  in 
  these 
  fisheries 
  to 
  press 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  

   a 
  law 
  which 
  should 
  prevent 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  purse-seine 
  

   before 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  June. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  stated 
  that 
  no 
  legislative 
  action 
  has 
  ever 
  been 
  

   recommended 
  by 
  the 
  Commissioner 
  of 
  Fisheries. 
  The 
  

   statutes 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  states 
  contain 
  numerous 
  laws 
  for 
  the 
  

   protection 
  of 
  fish 
  and 
  fishermen, 
  generally 
  worse 
  than 
  use- 
  

   less, 
  though 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  definitions 
  of 
  close 
  time, 
  which 
  

   appear 
  to 
  be 
  beneficial. 
  To 
  enforce 
  these 
  laws 
  would, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  render 
  necessary 
  a 
  large 
  force 
  of 
  fish-wardens. 
  

  

  The 
  policy 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Commissioner 
  has 
  been 
  

   to 
  carry 
  out 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  better 
  to 
  expend 
  a 
  small 
  

   amount 
  of 
  public 
  money 
  in 
  making 
  fish 
  so 
  abundant 
  that 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  caught 
  without 
  restriction 
  and 
  serve 
  as 
  cheap 
  

   food 
  for 
  the 
  people 
  at 
  large, 
  rather 
  than 
  to 
  expend 
  a 
  much 
  

  

  