The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-16

to the public as well as to the people
who make living by supplying the
market with cheap fish. It is address,
~ to a legislative committee and
ought to be considered by every mem
Der Of the Assembly:
Lehi City. Feb. 10. 1894.
To the Honorable Committee of Fish
| and Game:
| MISUNDERSTANDING been informed
that there had been an attempt made
TO stop SEEMING in Utah lake, for the
space OF two years, we believe it is our
duty TO inform your honorable body
Of the true condition with regard to
the fish question of Utah lake, and
county especially.
II SEEMING is stopped it will fully
protect the suckers and carp as they
cannot be taken by any other means
but seins. AS no fish can be success
fully taken in Utah lake except 1t be
around the mouth of streams where
the clear mountain waters enter the
| lake, SO Utah lake is not for sports
men.
If seins were stopped not less than
$4,000 to $4,000 people will be deprived
Of the only fish food within their reach.
From eighty to one hundred thousand
pounds are consumed in Salt Lake
city alone each year, which we know
the railway company can show re-
ceipts Tor II necessary. and we ship
fish as far as 100 miles north and south
and in fact all over the territory, as
far as we can reach by railway and
teams.
1t costs US at least $50 to prepare
ourselves for seining, and $50 a year
to keep it in repairs.
call
a pound, and carp at 3 or 4 cents. We
take all kinds of produce as we'll as
cash IN payment which ought to prove
70 you that there is plenty of fish in
Utah lake. These are facts that can
not be successfully contradicted, as
there is plenty of proof.
IL you stop seining you will do an act
OF injustice to the people of this ter
r1tory; it will also permit the suck
ers, carp and clubs to increase to the
detriment of imported fish. You can
not oyerstock fish pond any more
IMAM you can pasture, because all
the young fish have to live on insects
and what they can find, as they can
not live on other fish until they are
Two or three years old. These facts
are proven from many years expert
ence and years of careful study Then
what would be your object in stopping
the SENS? You could not materially
increase the trout by so donig. They
are by nature compelled to go up the
stream TO spawn and not more than
one out OF every ten comes back to the
lake again, they are taken by the
sportsmen, all that can be taken, large
ana small, in their endeavors to get
back to the lake with their young
ones when the water in the streams
get low and clear, but they are run
OH into the canals, both large and
small by solid banks across Provo
river and other streams that enter in
10 the lake, SO they are lost.
me trout has decreased ever since
tne dams nave been put across these
streams, year after year.
Nothing but a hatchery can counter
act this wholesale destruction These
are all facts that can be proven by the
people that have farms that are irri
gated by these streams.
And another fact is that there has
never been a law made since the law
was first made in 1867 or 1868, for the
protection of fish in Utah county. that
has had any attempt in reality to pro-
tect the trout, but has been a protec-
ton to the suckers and common fish,
that the sportsmen care little for and
will now prohibit the poor class of peo-
pie to have.
If hatchery is put up, the young
ready to put into the lake, and there
will be the first aim in a direction of
protection on the same principle as
our black bass which are row doing
fine; they are in the lake to stay, ex-
Icept the young spawn get destroyed
by the clubs and carp which do their
spawning on the same ground; but
when they get in fisherman's net
they are turned loose again and are
protected
If your honorable committee will
consider this and make an attempt to
counteract this destruction done by
irrigation, which we cannot do away
with, but put up a hatchery and turn
young trout in the lake in the proper
time and season, the fishermen will
help you in protecting them
At the present rate of destruction,
through turning off the streams when
the trout runs, it will be but a little
while before the sportsman that seems
to take such a deep interest in them,
will not have sport in catching them,
furthermore, the idea of few sports
men that will not think of eating a
sucker, make q. law to hinder thou
sands of poor people that are satisfied
with them from getting them!
We could get up a petition signed by
thousands of names, but they would in
all probability in majority of cases be as
ignorant of the true state of affairs as
the true sportsmen seem to be.
Wishing your honorable body will
please give this due consideration and
attention, for the benefit of the public.
Yours respectfully,
o. HOLMSTEAD,
MAT PETERSON,
Fishermen of Lehi.