Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-11-05
The Economic Advantages OF the Protection Of
pish and Game.
A PAPER READ BEFORE TIE VERMONT AssocIA-
TON FOR THE PROTECTION OF FISH AND
CANE, AT BURLINGTON, OCT. %, 1875.

| tlemeu, gatnered nero 10 take measufes
for the protection Of the fish and game IN
our State, that there is necessity Tor the
work they propose to undertake. 1t Is
patent to all OF us that the bes: kinds Of
fin and game are nearing extinction, that
the diminution of the quantity moves
~sth not merely q steadily progressive pace
bat with vne which il ever increasing III
rapidity.
laasmuch a. the mission 10 which We
spp0int ourselves Is that OF srre-ting th'
| prog ressiye destruction of fish and game, II
may be well for US, ihspTs1l!s, to TX eur al
tention upon the causes now operating &c
the practical extinction of them.
A, 10 fish, it may be said that the better
| sorts-salmon and trou.-have suffered by
a variety Of causes. There is no salmon III
Vermont. other than the few which N "
owe their presence to the work OF the ti>t
Commissioners These fish were once ah1nd-
ant IN several rivers on the water sheds oil
Lake Chanp!ain and OF tie C1nnectcu'
Valley. How have they been tx trminat
ed? Let US see. believe that bu. ex
press the opinion of every student OF the
subject when say that mere eI-fshing
whilc it diminishes 10 almost practical ex
termination, never utterly destroys the
race in particular stream. There IL NJ
known means for catching fish which ha'
Or will nakecaptive the last fish.
With Us, the efficient agent 10 the ex
tincti0n of salmon Is the mlil-dam. Sich
an agent. while it does not kill the individ-
ual, kills the race Ii simply. in effect,
emasculates every individual of it Tor. in
preventing the ascent Of the adult fish u
their spa wning grounds. 1t utterly annihi-
hates the reproduction Of the species ls-
uoTance and interest attribute the result u
saw dust But all experience shows that
il Is the impass ibie mlli-dam.
There Is the most abundant evidence that
every deserted salmon river 10 Vermont could
be made TO teen again with IT. olten DEM
z-ns. If these pestient distractions could be
removed or the pass way OF fishes could
be restored. The reinstation of salmon in
vOkes the aid Of the law and the law-inak-
ers. Tho protection Of them. when once
rcin>tlted, comes within our province
Miih trout. We have more to do. Ihe
diminutiln Of trout in our streams J.
wrought by several causes some OF which
are within control aud some OF which are
| not The causes winch are not within oar
control are mil -iam-. preventing the a.
cent Of the fish To their breeding grounds ,
the clearing up Of forests. thereby dimin-
ishing the dry weather quantity OF water
IN streams, aud opening that which remains
10 the direct rays OF the sun ; the luuling
of streams with saw dust and other mat
tiers, merely pE,j ldieial. or utterly de-
>tructive 10 trout and the accidental III
PRODUCTION Of predatory fishes destroying
adllt trout or their spawn The prevent
able CAUSES are. over fishing, unstable and
| Unreasonable fishing, net-ti>hing, and Inn
! ing brooks.
Although the present. statutes ipier!ic.
IL L. 50
OF trout. these statutes are measureably
/ inelicicnt. aud this Tor several reasons.
There a, no iut.ricting the taking Of
snail trout \ man fishing lawfully, that
| Is with lawful appliances and at lawful
/ seasons. It he take q trout, no matter II
+ tlc yplk bag It'll adherc- to 1t, he may
; keep it, eat it, or sell ~, q the orcI~iOn
suits. rle Thames Fishing Association, IN
/ England. has law which masr> IL an o.
J fence. punishable with 4 serious tine. to take
u7 expose Tor sale or 10 have III possession,
trout OF less than a given -izs,-threc
ounces think. Such 4 law - this. en-
| forced in THIS country woald at once quad
| ripple the supply, besides securing to each
female trout one year for reproduction.
TIE .un and substance OF the la" IN re-
gard to taking Trout, which It l. our petl-
liar province 10 see enforced. j. tbat Tela
ting u season and method. This question
then comes up for serious consideration
How can these laws be best enforced ~
il now stands. the offender, in taking trout
unlawiully. violates no right OF property,
or at least he Is not commonly supposed t.
do -. lie l. not aware of any breach Of
morality. Il l. nobJiy's cspecia. tu'.,-
ZION TO bring him u punishment.
Facing these facts. We meet here ti-ity
70 complete an organization. having Win
it, other objects that OF securing the en-
forcament OF the law 10 the matter. For
the same thing, HHfGtis nlutandfs. applies
g a., h,h and game protection.
1t Is right and proper for US here to con-
slider how We can secure the very general
arraignment and punishment Of oH.gders.
lJ ], very plain That we. the members o!
iais Association, cannot resolve ourselves
tito Al smbu!atJry pO.ic5, 10 watch brooks /
and fields aud woods, or INTO a detective
force to hunt up offences and pf-nier-. |:
l. iamcutahly notorious tina; the local an- I
thorIties Of the various towns give no at .
tontipn TO such offences or # they notice
them at all 1t Is only to the effect OF giving
the Zs,t of stolen waters to the Offences
The cost Cd special police. like the Heter
bA:l:H- AM game keepers Ut Europe, j. SIN
ply impossible. What then There re-
-41tAl7 ~ - fAtl Al4t hAA-tfA Va % 'b4N.AA-AA
police stirred to activity by sheer love Of
the rod and gun; or By the sense Of owner
ship. in practical effect. of Ash and game.
Hence il will be seen tina. We can effect
much in that We haY9 in view hy word OF
mouth or dInt of pen. For s2ortsmen must
come - learn. that he who takes a trout
upon = spawning he'd does thing a mean as
SANDER Tor in doing 1t "he takes that which
protteth not him but makes me poor -
that for the sake of breeding trout, IN
clean and unfit for food. he desiTois hur-
ired- OF spawn and thereby rohs himself
and ncig hbJrs OF their accustomed sport
Thar sane meanuess, for IT deserves no bet
ter name, applies to every unreasonable
taking OF any kind Of fish or game. For
close seasons are bot the prescribed seasons
II rest for fish and game, in which 10 repro
luce their species and TO recover from the
lgrturent state Sc as to become clean and fit
1r human food. So that people who are.
n sfect to be, sportsmen must learn that
20 take hsh or game out of season Is - take
bat which Is unclean and Is also to destroy
not only their own future opportunities
or sport, bat 10 spoil that Of everybody else ,
Il>o, and this NJ gentleman will do, and
nobody who wants to be thought gentle
nan can afjrd 10 do The man who per
istently does 1t is simply a backyard and I
hat i the most You can make of him. d
Ih.s l. the gospel of our persuasion.
In the next place people should learn and 1t !
: onr province II teach them. that. al /
housh there is technically no properly IN '
-h or game. the land owner has that :
hich j. Just aS valuable 10 m--thc ezclu- ;
i've right to kill il while it is on his prem
-es and that this. enforced like any other I
atural right. Is valuable one valuable a
d himself 1t he chooses to enjoy il, OF +,
iuto money If he elects to let :.
Jmeb0dy else enjoy It. venture to as u
ert, and that after careful examination =
nj inquiry. that in the great majority y
I eases whore good trout brooks run Z
trough farms, the fishing, thoroughly pro- n
8ctei againSt trespass, would rent for sums l.
efficient u pay the taxes upon the whole /,
arm. Al least know of two streams in q
rlasd county, for which am authorized :;
} give, on the conditions above named .
AN in one case larger than the whole annual n
roduce o! the farms through which it runs, q
nd IN the other more than enough to pay /.
ie taxes. know Of thousands OF acres of =,
fountain land on which | would be glad T.
and 50 would any sportsman with means 10 m
D ~ to pay the taxes, aye. and more in fr
lme cases, for the game that grows upon il. M
+ would grow upon 1t. That such brooks n
Nd mountain lands are not rented today i n
apply because farmers in this State don't ~,
nlw their rights or, know ng. d. not =.
ainttin them. The presumption i, that n
ey 30 not krOw either their rght- or n
money value of them. The game rents h,
Scotland are estimated by Mr. Med maid IL
about So 600 900 annually. Now it Is Ia
b. doubted il Scotland. with is ~
lies Of barren heath. can produce or bear IN
much gsmo as Vermont could. Is it to Ii,
, doubted that if our Vermont farmers ~,
ere satisfied that they could get one mil o.
IN annually in game, they would not a,
lth III laws to the fore. become as keen ~
ented keepers of game as were ever found 4
meath Scotch plaid or English fustan
o people under the sun have a sharper
probation of property than ours. and 60
ne will 80 boldly defend it. II our farm Gu
: eOud come To feel that they really pos g.
,sed the rights whIch the law gives them, pr
sy woIhd not rest long ere they coerced =
q legislation needed to protec, those %
.his and armed with this. it is bnt AS te
rtlog II very obvious inference to say that II.
sy you'd guard it, and that. too, far bet ca