200 Thied Annual Report of the 



fish. Moneys have been put into circulation; employment has 

 been given, and the Commission should feel pleased with what 

 it has done relative to satisfying the hook and line fishermen, 

 and meeting a demand for the working out of a method whereby 

 certain deleterious fish could be taken. Such fish overrun prac- 

 tically all the waters of the State, and certainly work to the detri- 

 ment of our so-called game fishes. 



Wherever the Superintendent of Inland Fisheries has been in 

 doubt relative to the granting of licenses in certain waters, the 

 State Fish Culturist has been appealed to, and he has been of 

 great assistance in determining in just what waters it was ad- 

 visable to allow the taking of fish by the method of netting. 



In the years past it was held that the carp had no value as a 

 food fish; but recently there has been a good market for this fish, 

 and the licensed netters have derived a substantial income from 

 the sale thereof. It has been reported to the Commission by 

 fishermen who have taken carp under their netting licenses from 

 the Hudson river, that they have been able to get eighteen cents 

 a pound in New York for the carp. Formerly the Hudson river 

 was swarming with this species of fish, but at the present time they 

 are not as abundant, owing to the large number which have been 

 taken. This works to the benefit of the finer grades of fish, and 

 the method of taking should be extended, as I have stated before, 

 to all the waters of the State, with the exceptions as herein speci- 

 fied. 



In view of the value of food fish to the public, especially the 

 coarse fish which should not be held in reservation for the hook 

 and line fishermen, I will offer the following recommendations: 



For a sturgeon line 400 feet and under in length, the fee should 

 be$l. 



For a sturgeon line over 400 feet, up to 800 feet, the fee should 

 be $2. 



For sturgeon line over 800 feet, up to 1,200 feet, the fee should 

 be $3. 



The hooks on a sturgeon line should be two feet apart. 



The hooks on a setline should be two feet apart. 



