Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-07
PROTECTING FISH.
a Paper Read by Il. o. StUeessey Of st. 1'a,sl
at tho Recent Chicago Meeting.
g.. s.. rOhica9o Times Oct. 81

ASSsseS W
at the Recent Chicago Meeting.
f. r... [Ohicago Times Oct. 81
"A plea for protecting the Mississippi River
System" was the subject of a paper read by
Dr.. R. o. Sweeney, of St. Paul. He desired
to call attention, he said. to the particular and
marked omission of legislation in the common
wealths bordering upon the Mississippi River
and its ,navigable State dividing tributaries,
either regulating, restricting or prohibiting
wanton, abusive and exhaustive fishing. He
thought that the remedy, to be effective must
emanate from the national legislature. There
were, besides the resident despoilers of the
water, those who use arks or fishery boats,
the rivers wherever fish abound. These arks
are inhabited by amphibious people, citizens
of nowhere in particular, and yet voters every.
where in general Sometimes as many as If
teen men to an ark are employed, slaughter
ing fish with
TRAP AND SET NETS
OF such destructive character as literally to let
nothing escape. Their modes of procedure is
thorough and systematic. The secrecy with
which their nets are placed, and usually at
tended, gives no evidence against them to the
majority of the world. Occasionally an early
or belated sportsman witnesses the haul they
MANI WHICH, Cue ueIs are empIleu, ana sees the
want0n and wasteful destruction of small fish.
too small for market, left dead to rot and
faint both air and water on the beach, They
dispose of the selected spoil in supplying the
daily wants of the nearer villages and towns.
selling to hotels and dealers the less market.
able: while thousands of pounds of the largest
and finest fish are sent to the greater cities by
the daily trains. They often actually depopu,
late stream, or come SO near to it that an
outraged neighbc-hood drive them off by
threats
The author thought that netting and trap
ping should be interdicted, and
ONLY FISHING WITH HOOKS AND LINES
permitted; and in case of set lines, only GER
tain number of hooks to line, and no one per-
son allowed to set, own or control more than a
limited number of lines within certain limit
ed distance. The streams within the jurisdic.
ton and control oflocal legislation can be. and
usually are, protected by such laws, but the
generous laws of the United States allow too
much liberty in this matter of fishing in the
great highway rivers One man, if he SO de-
termines, may selfishly deprive whole commu-
mites of their rights to catch and enjoy fish
simply because he can derive profit thereby.
Another good and sufficient reason for pro-
hibiting nets in the Mississippi is that the at
tempts being made to introduce shad and sal
mon into the great valley system by both the
United States and state commissions should
nave a 1alr ana unOOStructed field for the ex-
pertinent, of the final success of which the
author had most sanguine hopes,
He thought that
. =. AN EFFICIENT REMEDY
would be congressional legislation, in effect
that all persons who catch fish as business
and tosen, from any public waters whatever
should pay a certain sum of money as IL
cense for such privilege, the sum to be reg
ulated in amount according to the mode Of
| catching and appliances used, and quantity of
fish captured; the money paid for the licenses
to be expended for the continuous propagation
and restocking of such waters; or, in lieu Of
such money, they might deliver a certain
quantity of tertilized spawn to the United
States or state fish commissioners, as national
or state laws would indicate, for the restock.
ing Of the same waters. The sum necessary
would be but trifing and the expenditure q
good Investment even benefit, and an in
| creasing income to the fishermen, and not only
to them but to the community at large.
He asked the cooperation Of every gentle.
man present in urging firmly and persistently
the necessity of Systematically stocking the
Mississippi and it's afluents with shad and
salmon. If they united the United States
commissioners would give respectful atten-
ton to the req uest.