The morning call., 1892-06-29
TIE FISH COMMISSION.
II Fails TO Serve the Purpose OF It's
Creation.


Creation.
EITHER tie Fish Commission Of this State
Is a hopelessly corrupt institution or an
expensive imbeciuty," said a Clay street
fish merchant to a CALL reporter. And he
but voiced the sentiment Of nearly every
fisherman and fsI-dealeT in the city.
at ali events" he continued, "as the
commission is run at present it is al IN
necessary expense to the taxpayers OF this
State. from the maintenance Of which they
derive no appreciable benefit"
Certainly this much is true. The only
persons benefited by the Fish Commission
and The fish laws to-day are The Chinese"
said a Merchant-street dealer.
And there is apparently much truth in
these statements, as the facts themselves
will show.
San Francisco Bay and its tidewater
tributaries are being completely devastated
of all kinds Of fish by the DeveT-csasiug
slaughter Of the Chinese fishermen VINO
daily eusnare tons Of small fish for ship
ment TO China.
No one who knows anything at ali about
FISH or fishing Will deny this statement.
Not only are The small FISH destroyed by
the ton before they have q chance to ma
tuTe enough 10 sUaW1, but the food Of the
larger fishes Is being caught and sent cut Of
the country by the thousands of tons.
Said the United States Fish Commissioner
10 $780,
There Is little doubt but that TIE consumption
Of shimps Ia and about san Francisco Bay ex-
eeeds their rate OF increase and that they must
eventually, and Al no distant dav. become much
less abundant If not extinct. This Is 10 be- re-
GREETED mol only because Of their Ggest value as
an Article OF foOd aud pI OK 10 mankind direcI y
but also for the reason that they form an imp0l-
tant part Of the food of fishes the supply OF
which has already bec0me very nearly exhausted
in the bag OF San Francisco. II seems impoT-
Rant that some restriction should be placed al
once UpOu tie catching OF shtimps IN the vicinity
oil san Francisco. at present there Is no regula-
ton concerning H. ana shrlmD-catehing IS car
Fled Oh continuously throughout The year With
out single interval Tor he peaceful spawning
OF The Old and tie maturing OF The young
That was 10 years ago. The destruction OF
shTimps has arKely increased since then and
still there arc no restrictions concerning it.
But there is a law against catching young
fish. 1t reads as follows:
Every person who shall set use or con tinue
or who shall assist 10 setting using or continuing
any pound, weir, set net, tap or any other fixed
or permanent cOnJrlyauce fol- catching fish In the
waters of this State, Is guilty Of misdemeauOg
Every person VINO shall cast, extend or set any
seine or let Of any kind for the catching Of fish,
IN sny rlYerstream or slough Of this 5 ate, which
shall eX end more than OnethiTd across the width
OF SAID river, stream or slough, al tie time and
place Of such hSbing, is guilty Of misdemeanor.
Every person who shall cast, extend set, use
or continue, OF who shall assist in casting,
exteodng, using or continuing "Chiuese sur
geOn lines" or Chinese shrimp or bag nets" or
lines OF nets OF similar character. for the catch
iBg Of fish ID tie waters OF this State, is guilty of
q misdemeaUOT. Every pc son who. by seine or
any other means, shall catch the young fish OF
any species, and Who shall not return the same
10 The water Immediately and alive OF vino snail
sell, offer for sale, any such ns1, fresh or
dried, is guilty Of a misdemeanor. Every person
convicted Of a violation OF any Of the provisions
OF tEis chapter shall be punished by fine OF not
less than $50 ana not more than $500 or I'M
pTisOnment ia the county Jail OF the county
where tie ohense was committed Tor not less
than 30 days Eor more than six months, or by
both such hae aud Imprisonment.
1t ( 5 known that the shrimp fishermen
TO man Chluese-catch more small fish In
their shrimp nets than they do shrimps
The Chinese use stationary nets. Osten-
siblY they are set for shrimp, but In reality
from 10 10 p tons Of small fish are caught in
them every day In the year.
Every one knows this. The Fish Com
missi0nerS do not deny 1t.
There is a Laws against this. Why is not
this law enfoTcedP
II you ask the Fish Commissioners this
question they NH tell you that under the
rulings Of the court 1t is we'll nigh useless
10 attempt to enforce this law. Hence their
lethargY in the matter.
II you put this question to the Caucasian
fishermen they viii answer that the Chinese
pay handsome royalty every month 10 the
powers that be for the privilege of fishing
as they please. The position Of Fish Com
missioner is said TO be worth $500 month.
though the statutes provide no compensa-
ton at all.
a weiI-known Italian fisherman and fish
dealer In this city Is responsible for this
statement;
''Sx months ago I was in the saloon at
the corner Of California and Montgomery
streets talking 10 a Fish Commissioner. one
Of the Deputies, and a couple Of other fisher
men. Tie conversation was about Chinese
fishermen and their methods. Said the
Commissioners. In the course OF our talk:
Well, my job is worth just $500 a
month";"
Suppose the Fish Commission and its en-
ployes are honest; just suppose so. for the
sake OF argument.
In that case they are avowedly useless to
prevent the infractions Of the laws they
Wera appointed to uphold and are certainly
useless.
They are an expensive luxury, eating up
an appropriation Of $4,000 year, while the
receipts Of their Office. including licenses
and fines, do not exceed $1,000 year.
A clear loss to the taxpayers Of $4,000 a
year, and the eventual extinction of all
edible fish in the bay Of San Francisco.
That is what the Fish Commission is on
its own showing.
Ii the view Of the Caucasian fisherman is