The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-17
THE FISH QUESTION.

The Herald has a great and touching
faith in the declaration Of the seiners,
that they throw back the game fish !"
We confess that were we SEEMING and
took q four pound trout or a Two
pound black bass. we'd lever throw
him back without a fight. Nor co we
believe any one else would.
That is from the Provo Dispatch.
Il is in reference to the seining contro-
versy. 1t is contended IN me side
that if SEEMING is allowed in Utah lake,
the trout. black bass and other game
or imported fish will be destroyed
That they will be placed on the market
here on exported to Denver or else
where. and so the lake and ihe streams
win be denuded of the better classes
of fish. Anglers for sport are as a rule
opposed to seining for commerce.
On the other hand. it is claimed that
unless SEEMING is allowed he lake will
be swarmed so much by he common
fish. such as suckers, mullet. club, and
carp. that the game fish viii be run
out That if seining is stopped the
market cannot be supplied with the
common kinds which are bought by the
poor. That it is the practice of the
fishermen who supply the market with
common fish. to throw back such of
the game fish as may be caught in
their nets, and therefore there is no
loss of any consequence to those pro-
tected kinds.
As to our touching faith in the
declaration of the seiners, we win say
I'VE have such touching faith in the
provisions of the law that we even
believe the editor of the Dispatch
would do better than he boasts. We
think he would have such "a touching
faith in the virtue of the law, to say
nothing of the effects if its penalties,
that he would not violate it for the
sake Of two pound bass or even a
four pound trout.
The law is definite on that point.
It is made a misdemeanor to take fish
unlawfully. It IS unlawful to take any
imported ssh except carp from any
natural stream for four years from the
passage Of the act Of 1890 That may
he extended by law if desirable. 1t is
unlawful to use any seine or net with
meshes more than one and half
inches square for fifty yards in the
centre, and two inches square in the
wings. and seines may only be used
in Green River the year round, ana in
Beaver and Utah lakes between Sep
TENDER LIST and July 1st following
seines used unlawfuIly may be con-
fscated. 1t is unlawful to export fish
caught in this territory.
Some amendments covering newly
imported kinds Of fish and giving the
fish commissioner additional powers for
the protection of game fish and the
prosecution of offenders would be pro
her But we are of the opinion that
1t would not be a good thing to stop
the SEEMING Of common fish, and thus
cause the price to rise in the market
as well as increase the shoals Of those
kinds at the expense Of the finer fish
which it is desired shall take their
place.
The fishermen are willing to combine
for the protection of the better class
Of fish and the detection of offenders
against the fish law. The appearance
of any lind of fish in the market for
hidden by law to be caught, and the
proof of expectation should be the sig
nal for prosecution Of the offender or
offenders. which viii rot be a difficult
matter
We think the people of Utah county
are as much interested in the FISH
supply as SAT- Lakers are in the fish
demand, and We believe that on full
investigation Of this subject, they viii
not be opposed to a law which win
permit seining OF the common kinds
while it protects the finer Sorts And
we also believe that the respect for law
felt by the fishermen there and the
live paper which is helping to build
UP Utah county interests. viii cause
both bass and trout to be properly
raker care OF. Don't spoil the home
market for cheap fish!