FISHERIES, GAME AND FORESTS. I 3 



down the river at their accustomed seasons, as such obstruction would impair and 

 ultimately destroy all such rights owned by other proprietors both above and below 

 the obstruction on the said stream. 



" Fish rights below a dam constructed without passageways for the fish are liable 

 to be injured by such a structure, as well as those owned above the dam, as the migra- 

 tory fish, if they cannot ascend to the headwaters of the stream at their accustomed 

 seasons, will soon cease to frequent the stream at all, or in greatly reduced numbers." 



Through the contributions of young salmon planted in the Hudson River by the 

 United States Fish Commission, it has been demonstrated that the waters of the 

 stream are suitable for this grand fish. Planted in the headwater trout streams the 

 smolts have, in season, descended to the sea, and at the proper time returned as adult 

 fish to the river and attempted to ascend to the streams of their babyhood, to repro- 

 duce their kind. Dams and falls, without passageways, and fyke nets, in which they 

 are taken contrary to law, have thus far conspired to prevent the Hudson from becom- 

 ing a self-sustaining trout stream. 



The river Tay, in Scotland, commands for its salmon fishing (and it is a smaller 

 river than the Mohawk, in this State) an annual rental of $200,000, and the expendi- 

 ture of a sum less than a quarter of that amount would open the Hudson to salmon 

 from mouth to source; and, to shad up to the point at least where they were known 

 before the building of the Erie Canal. 



Streams, other than the Hudson, are in need of fishways to provide the best results 

 in furnishing the people with an abundance of suitable and cheap food fish. 



Occasionally it has been charged by those ignorant of the subject that this Com- 

 mission is largely, if not chiefly, engaged in propagating game fishes for the few at the 

 expense of the many. The absurdity of this charge is demonstrated by an examina- 

 tion of the tables of fish reared and planted by the Commissioners. In the abstract, 

 all fishes are food fishes, but there is no fixed standard by which to determine which 

 fishes are the so-called game fishes. For the purpose of showing how idle this charge 

 is, we will divide the fish into commercial and hook-and-line fish. During the year 

 ending September 30, 1895, the State has planted 196,247,840 fish of various kinds 

 and ages. Calling the brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, land-locked salmon, sea 

 salmon, mascalonge and black bass hook-and-line, or " game fishes," there have been 

 planted of these species 8,627,908. Of white fish, pike-perch, tomcod, smelts, ciscoes, 

 shad, bullheads, frost fish, etc., or of the commercial or " food fishes," there have been 

 planted 187,619,932. In other words, for every single "game" or hook-and-line 

 fish planted in the State the Commissioners have planted twenty-one and a fraction of 

 " food " or commercial fishes. It must be taken into account that the so-called game 

 fishes are the highest order of food fishes, and that the love of angling is on the 



