The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-30
FISH TAKING
 IN MOBILE BAY Commissioner Wallace Sees Grave Menace. BAY IS BEING DEPLETED They Are Catching Them For
 Fertilizer. xmmense Bouts Are Made with seines And Naphtha Launches For Fer aiiser Faeteries--say is E1- sspt From Provisions of
 Game Law.

That naphtha launches dragging huge aeines around Bayou La Batre and coden are gradually depicting those salt waters of fish and that the fish IS heinz transported in fleets of schooners and masted vessels to outside points to be ground into fertilizers IS the in- formation reported yesterday to Hon John H. Wallace, Jr., state tame anu Fish Commissioner.
 All that the State Game and Fish Commissioner can do. however, IS to sit supineiy by and watch events m s,ch casee. But he takes this oppor- tuntty to twit those representatives n the last Legislature from Mobile ana Baldwin counties who carr'ea tne amendment to the fish statute eAcluo- ing from it's operation all salt water ,n the jurisdiction of the State ana that water in which the tide ebns ana
 The report which was received at inc capitol was that a fleet of SIX schooners and masted vessels or gooa size are now running between Missis- sippi and Louisiana. taking fisn OH Coffee Island to factories where they are being ground up and used for fer- tilizer Two naptha launches are used to spread the. seines which are from 1000 to 2O00 feet long and fifteen feet deep, These selnes are said to be apie to catch all kinds of fish from shrimp to whale" A large boat, with a wind lass hauls in the fish and from one 10 two tons are caught at one haul.
 Commissioner Wallace had this to say when the matter came to his atten-
 Tt is a most regrettabie fact that under the plea that 1t was a matter or local Legislation that the members of the Mobile and Baldwin County dele gation persisted In presenting emend- ments to our bill for the prQteetion ok fish that practically removed these counties from the operation of our most excellent fish laws. The effect of the amendments was to exclude salt waters in which the tide ebbs and flows from the operation of these statutes. Of course this takes In all the bays along the Alabama coast line.
 s.The expected has happened. The people of Mobile now realize that their waters are being preyed upon to such an extent as to deprive the inhabitants of that country from enjoying that which nature has so abundantly laid at their door. I have no doubt but that if the Legislature should assem- ble tomorrow that the very members who proposed the amendments which impaired the law would be eager for the repeal of their effect. It is for tunate for the people of Alabama that the fresh waters of the State are adequately protected and vigorously guarded by the game warden coHstab1- lary.
 Alabama at one time was the Wal toms paradise. Coursing through this State are hundreds of beautiful, limpid streams in whose placid depths former ly were found every specie of game fish known to this cline It is known fact that the waters of this State have been dynamited seined, netted and trapped until they have in d large measure become practically de- pleted of fish. All that is required Is to let the fish of Alabama have q rest, and the streams will once more be re- stocked and will teem with desirable species of the finny tribe as they did In pristine times. eA
 sThe murderous dynamlter that throws his cartridge into a stream gets only a small proportion of the fish he kills The rest float off dead. dead loss to humanity. He likewise Kills all of the small fry which If left to grow. would some day develop into delecate table morseis. Those who seine streams. dump out the small fish and never think of replacing them so rapacious are they to get their greedy hands on the glistening beauties they have dragged from their haunts.
 ''The nefarious practice of dynamit- ing. seining. netting, trapping the streams has been in q large measure stopped under the operation of our fish laws, and 1t is known fact that sport with hook and line in Alabama during last season has been better than for twenty five years-
 When we establish the fish culture station contemplated by the bill of Senator Joseph F. Johnston. which has already passed the Senate and which now awaits the action of the House every stream in Alabama will be re- stocked with fish. which we propose to protect and preserve for the benefit of the people at large. prosecuting and pursuing with the vengeance of a spite