The Portland daily press., 1878-12-20
1.-THE FISHERIES.
Twelfth Annual Report of the Maine
Fish Commissioners.

The twelfth annual report of the State Com
missioners of fisheries, Messrs. E. M. Stilwell
and Henry o. Stanley, has been made to the
Governor and Council. While public interest
in the subject of stocking our rivers and ponds
with food fishes is on the increase and the de-
mands on thecommiSsioners have exceeded their
means to supply, the commissioners complain
that in certain cases legislation in favor OF
owners along river banks has rendered their
efforts futile Especially is this true of the Pc
nobscos where the riparian owners have built
fence out into the river which effectually inter
cepts the current from the fishway gate and
prevents the fish from finding it, while nets are
strung across the river below the dam. Many
of the statutes are of no account because they
attach no penalty to their vi llation. Since July
the numb4r of salmon on the East and West
Branches of the Penobscot has been very large
Ga the St. Croix the yield was large for that
river. On the Audroscoggin a good many
salmon have been taken the last two years.
The number of salmon caught in the Kenne-
bee has been larger than usual On theMedomsc
large salmon have been Sc jumping in the
basin, where such sight has not been witness
think at least 100000 young fry should be put
into our rivers annually.
Moosehead Lake should BE- stocked with
clue-back trout and every year at least hslfa
million eggs of her brook trout should be hatch
ed and turned into her waters The handbook
eG salmon should be introduced, and above all
a most rigid law for the protection of game
aud fish should be passed p7 the legislature
aud strictly enforced.
Prof. Baird has been induced to join the
commissioners 10 establishing works for taking
the spawn of laud-locked salmon on the Sougo
river. Prof Baird has added $1,000 to the
meagre 5000 of the state. The commissioners
state the vast year 100 600 fry. O. them 20 600
are the gift Of Prof. Baird and were distrihnted
% folIows:-4000O in the Penmaquan aud
tributaries; 20. 900 in the waters of Aroostook;
and 10000 to the 81. CroiX Of the 10000 our
chased 5000 went to Newport pond, 5000 to Dex-
ter pond 5000 to Belgrade pond, 5000 TO Silver
Lake, 5000 to Cobb )ssecOntee pond 5000 to Gold
Spring pond and 5000 to pObd in Lincoln;
5000 blue-bsck trout have been placed ia Dex-
ter pond; 5000 in Worthy; 10 900 in Cobbosse-
contee and 10000 in Tbompson's pond, Ok
ford There has bsen call for black bass all
over the state Some forty ponds and streams
have been supplied There is excellent fishing
at Philips pOnd 10 Ded0am, COMPASSIONATE
pond near Hallowell, Falmouth pond near
Portland, and several other PLACES. The COM
missiOoers have dis ributed good many ale
wives to various rivers throughout he state.
The coma missiouers recommend that he laws
for the prot- ctlon of fish be made more sim.
Pile. The close time for land-locked salmon,
trout and tougue should b9 from the first day
of Ootob-r to the first day of february or
March The punish ment for using set lines,
grapnels, nets. weirs, traps or other device
other than fair angling with single baited
hook and line, or ag hooks, should be not only
a ii g and IMPRISONMENT, but Imprisonment &C
hard labor, and imprison ment also of one day
for each dollar Of fue unpaid. All implements,
boats, &C., used in illegal fishing should be
confscated. The attempt to commit the offence
should be punished. A more stringent law is
required against netting in our inland waters.