68 



of suckers and white and yellow perch, which frequent the 

 spawning grounds. For protection from these fish the fry 

 should be liberated over a wide territory. 



In spite of the great difficulty in obtaining the ripe fish, the 

 artificial hatching of alewives is a practical procedure, but the 

 beneficial efi'ects of planting the fry cannot be demonstrated for 

 several years. 



Regulation of Fishery. 



The third important step in preserving the fishery is the 

 proper legal regulation which will allow cultural and protective 

 measures to achieve the best results. In place of the present 

 voluminous special legislation, a few simple, readily enforced 

 general laws, capable of local modification, should prove of 

 great benefit in developing the alewife fishery. 



ITie best method of operating the fishery would be a central 

 board of control, with local representation, which would have 

 a,dequate powers to enforce the laws, -delegate authority, and 

 regulate each individual fishery in the interests of the whole. 

 Thus each fishery would be freed from local disputes and irre- 

 sponsible manipulation. 



Against this ideal method of regulation stands the desire of 

 the coastal towns to control their respective fisheries, and for 

 the sake of expediency an attempt at restoration must first be 

 made under a system of town control, whereby each town is 

 given charge of the fisheries within its bounds, subject to a 

 definite policy of management defined in a comprehensive State 

 law. In this way each town will be given the detailed manage- 

 ment of the local needs of the fishery, but will be held strictly 

 accountable by law for its proper regulation. The welfare of 

 the fishery is the concern of the State, and no town has the 

 moral right to squander an asset which has been intrusted to 

 its care. Delinquent towns should be rigidly brought to ac- 

 count and made to take proper care of their fisheries. The 

 Division of Fisheries and Game stands ready to advise and 

 assist the towns in every way possible, but has no power in the 

 local regulation of the fisheries. It can co-operate in fishway 

 installation, and through stocking, but unless better town regu- 

 lation is given, any work of this nature will be without avail. 

 To insure the correct regulation of the alewife fishery, all 



