The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-09
To SAVE The
ISLAND FISH
National Fish Commits.
sioner Sends Sugges-
tons to Governor.

1t becomes more and more apparent
day by day, that the administration a
Washington is going to take a kind o
working interest in Hawaii that will re
suit in the highest possible devel
opment of those resources of the Terri
tory whose care can properly be foster
ed by the National government.
| Yesterday Governor Carter received
from Fish Commissioner George NJ
Bowers, of the Bureau of Fisheries o
the Department of Commerce and La
Dor, the letter which follows herewith
Hon. George R. Garter, Governor O.
the Territory of Hawaii. Sir:-Mr
| John N Cobb, who as a member OF the
party from this Bureau which investI-
gated the fish and fisheries of the Ha-
waiian Islands in 1901, had charge of the
commercial INQUIRIES, and made second
| canvass of those fisheries during the
present year, has called attention to the
urgent need for cetrain changes in the
present fishery laws of the Territory SO
that commercial fisheries, which are al
present quite valuable, may be preserved.
He refers particularly to the use of fine
meshed nets, by means of which many
small and immature fishes are needless
ly destroyed.
AS you requested of him to be adj
vised of any changes in the present Ter
ritoria1 laws which the investigation
might indicate as desirable, | cannot do
better than to repeat the suggestions
contained in the preliminary report of
Messrs Jordan and Evermann upon the
1901 investigation, as follows:
1.-The size of the neshes of seines
should be limited. No seines with a
mesh less than 3 inches in extension
should be used. An exception may be
made which will allow the use of seines
not exceeding thirty feet in length and
with mesh no under three-eighths inch
in extension for the. purpose of taking
bait
"rhe capture or taking in any man
ner whatever, or the selling, offering
for sale, or having in possession any
amaama, weke, moano, kuTnu or ntnu,
or other fish of the family Mullidae of
less than eight inches in length should
be prohibited.
.'The minimum size for the u1ua and
related species of the family Carangldae
should be twelve inches.
1.-The minimum size limit for all
species other than those specifically men
toned above should be nve inches.
The amaama, or mullet, is OF great
Importance in the Islands of Molokai
and Oahu, and in order to properly con-
serve the supply the catching of them
during their spawning season should be
prohibited Their principal spawning
season is from the latter part of Octo-
Der to the early part of February.
"The selling of female ula locally
known as lobster) when carrying eggs
should be strictly prohibited. While
here is no present sign of a decrease
n the supply of this crustacean, it is |
better to start now than when it is too
ate.
"As the waters of Pearl Harbor seem
o be favorably adapted to the raising !
If oysters it would be well if this in
1ustry could be established and fostered |
by the passage of a law permitting the
easing of small plats of land under |
water, adjacent to the shores. for the
purpose of planting and raising oysters. |
IAN efficient force of fish wardens |
should also be provided for in order to |
see that the laws are properly enforced. |
1T is also recommended that the ma /
tive birds of the islands should be pre-
served.
GEORGE NJ. BOWERS"