The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-13
PROPOSED FISH LEGISLATION.

L lokNNIlhN EASoo@llIioi
notice that they propose to make an
active fight to secure the passage of
certain generalfish laws. They claim
that Objectionable features Of
previous measures have been elimi-
mated and the act which they intend
to ask the Legislature to pass will
accomplish the ends desired by the
Association. 1t earnestly desires the
aid and advice of every one interested
in the preservation and increase Of
the food fishes in our waters, whether
such persons being engaged in fishing
for living or for pastime. The
members are under the impression
that their motives have heretofore
been misunderstood and that the
Associationhas been unjustly charged
with favoring legislation in the in
terests of a few sportsmen to the ex.
clusion of the rights of the much
larger and more important class Of
our citizens who are employed in
catching fish for market for Twill.
hood. They also urge the adoption
of one general law applicable to the
whole State as being more desirable
than the many local statutes.
The Association proposes three
general bills: the first applicable to
all tide and salt waters and only to
them; the second, to all fresh waters
above the tide and only to them;
third, the adjustment of pound,
purse, staked and other fixed nets, for
period of five years.
We wish to call the attention of
our readers to these different laws,
for many of them are interested
either directly or indirectly in the
6nny tribe whether for pleasure or
for a living and if there be any OBJ.
jectionable features in the outlines
given below it is important that they
make their protests at once for the
Association will probably be power
fully represented at Annapolis this
winter and will push the passage Of
their laws to successful termination.
The first and salt water bill con-
tains the following provisions: Fish
to be caught only for food; haul
seines, buck and gill nets to be law
full in the Chesapeake Bay proper the
entire year and in the tide-water
tributaries of the same from Novem-
Der LIST, to June 3Oth inclusive; dip
nets and hooks and lines lawful
throughout the year; no nets here
after to be landed on the shore; no
white perch less than seven inches,
no yellow perch less than eight
INCHES, no rock or tailor less than ten
inches and no pike less than fourteen
inches to be retained; unlawful to
extend any nets more than half way
acrose tide-waters; penal ofense to
use dynamite or any explosive sub
stance in tide-waters except for en-
gineering or mining purposes; a
license necessary for all residents OF
this State if engaged in the business
of fishing; if they use haul seines, buck
or gill nets, the cost of said license
shall be So per annum; non-residents
not allowed to fish at all for markets
within the limits of the State.
The fresh water bill contains the
following provisions: Black bass,
pickerel, pike and perch not to be
caught between April LIST and June
18th, or any time less than ten inches
in length, or in any manner except
with rod and line, equipped with a
single hook or hooks either baited
with natural bait or tied with arti-
fetal flies, each equipped with a single
hook only; unlawful to take white
perch under seven inches long, yellow
perch under eight inches long, pike
under fourteen inches long and rock
or tailor under ten inches long;
diamond back terrapin during their
spawning season i. e. from April 1st
to October 31st, unlawful, to take
them at any time at less than five
inches in diameter on the under shell
or to keep them in confinement dur
ing their said spawning season or at
any time to hunt or destroy their
eggs; unlawful to so obstruct streams
containing or stocked with trout so
as to prevent said fish from freely 60
ing up and down streams; owners of
all dams of all rivers required to keep
fish ladders on same so as to permit
fish to freely go up and down said
rivers; no nets or seines to be landed
on the shores of any waters, salt or
fresh, and no understood fish to be
left to perish on the said shores or
anywhere else when caught, but to
be returned alive to the water if pos
sible; lawful to catch or destroy Ger
man carp or any other kind of carp
and cells at any time and in any way
except by dynamite, poison, acid,
aw dust or shavings; apenal of1ense
to put in any fresh water except for
bona fde engineering purposes any
dynamite or other explosive or any
lime, acid, poison, saw dust or shaw
ings or anything injurious to fish
life.
The third proposed law prohibits
the use of pound nets, purse nets and
all staked or other fixed nets for a
period of five years.