, 1903-12-09
Another Game and Fish Law to be
introduced at the Next Session
of the Legislature.

The following is taken from the Coast
Echo, published at Belmar, Monmouth
county:
"Ghree bills for the further protection
of the salt water fish and the gam ill.,
terests of this state will be introduced
at the coming session of the Legislature
on behalf Of the sportsmen of New
Jersey. Drafts of the proposed laws
were unanimously approved 10y the
Essex Game aud Fish Protection Asso-
citation at "A meeting of the organization
held Thursday night.
''One of the measures asks thai the
use Of pound nets, which have a mesh
smaller than five inches be prohibited.
At present, it was asserted, the pound
net fishermen use in their nets a mesh
about Ii m u half inches. This
class OF net, it is said, has been destroy
ing for years millions of young fish
that are not marketable and which
have to be thrown away. BY using a
larger mesh, the trainers of the bill de-
clare, the game fish will have a chance
at least to reach the feeding grounds
close in shore. The five-inch mesh
will, those interested in salt water fish
ing also say, allow a two-pound weak
fish through, whereas at present an
ounce fish is caught by the gills and
%strangled.
This proposed bill, the trainers ex-
pect, will, if passed, give New Jersey
fishermen an opportunity to again en-
joy better bluefishing. This sport is
said 10 have been almost entirely elm
mated On the jersey coast because of
the pound nets, and bluefish are now
but seldom seen near the shore. 1t
was computed by II of the members
that at Seabright some months ago he
saw upward of $4,000 young bluefish
that had been caught in the small one
and-a-half-inch meshes of a single net
This was, he added, at one haul, and
the fish were shaken from the net back
into the sea because they were too small
to market.
f FISHING IN BAYS.
The other bluefish bill aims TO abol-
ish all net fishing i'll the waters under
the jurisdiction of New Jersey in Sandy
Hook Bay, Raritan Bay, Staten Island
Sound and the tributaries to those bod
les, between May 81 and October 81,
year. 1t was said that these waters up
to five years ago were the best game
fishing grounds about New York har-
Dor, but hat now they are practically
devoid of sport because of pound nets.
They are said to he natural feeding and
spawning grounds, but the pound nets
practically prevent fish from reaching
them and also destroy the young fish.
1t was pointed out that five years ago
the waters adjoining Atlantic High
lands were full of fish, but that since
the use of nets was extended the fish
erman has TO 90 far out from shore if he
desires to catch anything.
"According to some of the speakers
in favor of the two bills the railroads of
the state will support both. The vari-
Gus lines, it vas declared, five years ago
carried upward Off, 900 salt water fisher
men each Saturday to Monday during
the season. Now they do not. it was
stated, carry much more than one-tenth
that number, and that the anglers in
stead of staying in New Jersey are fore
ed to go to Long Island. One of the
speakers said that bluefishing had been
driven almost completely from the Jer-
sey coast, and is now to be had princi-
pally along Rhode Island, where the
fish We're never known TO so before.
This measure, another speaker said will
be supported by the residents of Sea-
bright. He said thatthere Was no bath
ing to be had at that resort this year
principally because the fish thrown
away 10y the pound net fishermen were
thrown up by the waves on the beach
and decayed there.
1.-The third measure taken up at the
meeting asks for the protection of GER
tain kinds of game by prohibiting its
sale in New Jersey. This is done be-
Because there is a growing scarcity of
all sorts of game. 1t provides that a
fine of $50 he levied on all persons offer
ing for sale rutlled grouse, pinnated
grouse, quail, woodcock, English pleas
ant, ring neck pheasant, partridge,
rabbit or gray squirrel. The idea is to
prevent the wholesale trapping of game
for sale in the open market. 1t is not
intended to act against the hunter who
may shoot game and then give it away