Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-24
WOULD PROTECT FISH
International Fisheries Con-
gresS Discusses Question.
PLAN OUTLINED BY CLARK
Wants Free Angling During Spawn
ing Season.
DIR. YEN ON CHINESE METHOD
Foreigners Express Surprise That
This Country Has Progressed.
Farther Than Europe.
DR.. YEN ON CHINESE METHOD

Fish protection that will really protect
was the demand before the international
fisheries congress at the New Willard to-
day. Papers of a popular sort were read
by Frank n. Clark, s. w. Downing and
Mr.. Reighart on the protection of white
fish and kindred food fishes.
Mr.. Clark outlined a plan for fish pro-
lection that was radically different from
the existing laws. He said that these
laws were all wrong in their assump
ton, and that the protective period should
be in the month when the heaviest catch
of unripe fish was made. He was in favor
of allowing free fishing during the spawn
ing season and compelling the fishermen
to strip all roe fish and fertilize the eggs.
with a view to planting and thus con-
serving the supply.
There was an interesting paper on the
fisheries of China read by DR.. Yen of the
Chinese commission. In excellent English
he reviewed the history of fishing in
China. He said it was only within a few
years that the government had attempted
to collect statistics. 1t was known that
there were 100000 vessels engaged in
coast fishing. Fish was such an important
part of national food supply that govern
ment had established a school at Shang
hal where the sons of 100 fishermen are
now being instructed in modern methods
of fish culture.
DR.. Yen said there had been SO many
modern ideas and new problems crOwding
in on China these days that it had been
hard to give the fish commission the at
tention it deserved from the government,
but that the country was waking up to
the Importance of conserv: g this national
food supply. He hoped the Chinese COM
mission would be able to learn much of
practical value from observation in Ameri-
ca and meeting the foreign delegates.
Surprised at American Progress.
1t may be said, incidentally, that the
foreign delegates a rule have ex-
pressed great surprise at the progress in
fish culture that has been made in
America, and they say the United States
in both it's federal work and the work of
the state fish commissions is decidedly
ahead of any European country. This is
attributed to the willingness Of the gov
eminent, both state and federal, to spend
money for scientific research, and to the
inventive genius of the people of this
country in dealing with the practical prob
lens that arise.
One of the most interesting contribu-
tions in the line of papers was from DR..
A. d. Meade of the Rhode Island COM
mission on lobster culture. This was a
bulky volume in typewriting. illustrated
by remarkably comprehensive series of
photographs showing the practical work
which the Rhode Island commission has
done. In this line of work they were
really ahead of the United States. DR..
Bumpus said that the paper was too long
to read. but he explained briefly that
after a long series of failures in trying
to raise Holsters the commission had hit
on the simple method of sinking big tanks
for the spawning Holsters on their natural
feeding grounds.
There were big rotary fans in the bot
toms of these boxes that drew in the sea
no naf 1ohc
after passing up throgh the boxes the
refuse was driven out through windows
at the top. DR.. Bumpus said the sight of
thousands of young Holsters lyir> head
on to the rotary current of water in these
breeding boxes was wonderful. They
were fed a little in addition to the sea
supply that was constantly brought them,
but they grew wonderfully fast and were
soon In condition to be liberated, and
were beyond the reach of their natural
euanieS