XL VII 



In order to insure the active co-operation of the gill- 

 net hshermen, the U. S. Commissioner has for several 

 years generously paid to the gillers fifty cents for each 

 xipe female shad delivered immediately as it was taken 

 from the net. The fish were invariably returned to the 

 fishermen, after the eggs had been taken, and as this 

 operation caused no perceptible injury to the hsli, the 

 premium was n strong incentive to the co-operation of 

 the fishermen, as it was a source of considerable profit to 

 them. 



The Maryland Kish Commission has never consented 

 to pay any thing for the privilege of taking sj^awn from 

 captured fish, as it has considered it but just that the 

 fishermen should co-operate in a work intended for their 

 future bench t. The F. S. Commissioner, however, has 

 made this contribution to the fishermen on the ground 

 that a j)ortion of the fish produced from these eggs were 

 subject to be shipped to other waters ; but as the forces 

 enq^loyed by the two Commissions were operated as 

 one and the work conducted jointly, the T'. 8. Com- 

 missioner has paid for all the spawn obtained from fish 

 taken in the gill -nets. 



As the work increased from year to year this pi'emium 

 for tlie ripe shad became a considerable tax on the L'. S. 

 Commissioner, and it was determined that the amount 

 paid should be reduced to twenty-hve cents for each 

 spawning shad, and due notice was given to the gillers 

 during the season of 1879 that such a reduction would be 

 made the following season. Even this reduced premium 

 was a very liberal compensation for tlie small trouble the 

 gillers were put to. I was, therefore, both surprised and 

 mortified Avhen, in the midst of the seas(m, the fishermen 

 refused to allow not (mly those employed by the V. S. 

 (Commission, but those also of the Marvland State Com- 

 mission as well, to talve eggs from their fish. 



This ccmduct (m the part of the fishermen miglit have 

 caused a vei'v decided diminnti(m in the number of fish 



