The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-03-27
CONSERVATION COM
MISSION OF LOUISIANA,
Measures of Special Importance and
Why They Have Been
Adopted
Part I-Restriction of Fishing
Methods.

|
for profit. Many of the laws of LoulSl.
ana have been framed to meet this par
tiCular phase of the conservation
question. While the laws must not fail
to curb the Wanton destroyer, this is
not so important, since few men fail to
recognize the folly of destruction mere
ly for amusement. There is usually
some actual financial inducement to
prompt a wholesale destruction Of
birds, game and fish or other natural
resources.
Such destruction is worst when it in.
wolves the killing or capture of fish.
game, ETC., under circumstances that
leave them absolutely no chance of
either escape or reproduction. The
wastefullness of catching fish in their
spawning season, the folly and greed of
destroying birds and game on their
breeding grounds, at the very time
when their future existence depends
on their escape from all enemies, are
often completely ignored by the men
who should be most interested in the
protection and increase of such life.
Among the provisions of the LouiS.
ana conservation laws that discourage
the practices is one prohibiting the use
of explosives and of deieterous sub.
stances in streams for the purpose of
destroying fish. Killing by these meth.
DDS not only means a reckless destruc.
ton of all flsh.life, including innumer.
able small fish of absolutely no value to
man in their existent condition. but the
disturbance of the normal environment
of the fish to such an extent that their
replacement is greatly retarded or
rendered impossible
The use of gill.nets, fyke.nets, tram.
mel.nets is very destructive to fish of
all species above a certain size found
in all smaller bodies of water, such as
bayous, small land locked bays, etc.,
and it is illegal in Louisiana even to
have such nets in possession.
| Seins and hoop nets, the use of which
in fresh water is permitted in Louisi.
ana under certain conditions, are much
less destructive to fish than the proceed.
ing kinds of nets. They may be so EN-.
ployed as to cause the least injury to
the fish and the fishing grounds, and at
the same time secure satisfactory re.
suits for the fisherman. In seining, a
certain proportion of the surrounded
fish escape, usually the most active and
vigorous, through which the plentiful
reproduction of the SpeSies is apt to be
accomplished. Hoop.nets. which may
not be set in streams less than forty
yards in width. leave comparatively
free way for fish, SO that only reason
able per centage of those in the adj
jacent waters are caught.
! The catching of fresh water game
fish with seines has been prohibited in
Louisiana for two principal reasons
Game fish, such as erappie and the
various species of bass and sunfish, are
not as prolific as the less choice varie
ties, and the capture of large numbers
by seines would cause their early de-
struction. Such fish are also very
| fastidious as to the conditions of the
water in which they breed, and dis
turbances due to seining would drive
away those that were not caught. Fol
this reason, many of the waters iL
Louisiana in which game fish are found
are excluded from the territory ir
which seining is permitted, the seiners
are required to observe certain regu
lationS intended to prevent disturbances
of the water bottoms and the vegeta
ton they support as far possible, AL
species of game fish caught in fresf
water seins must always be released.
In most of the fresh waters of Lousi
ana seining is entirely prohibited. The
law excerpts certain waters in which
SEEMING for common fish may be en-
gagged in under permit issued by the
Conservation Commission and under
suitable rules and regulations.
S. E. Carroll returned Wednesday
evening from Glenmora to visit hi:
family here. He returned this morn
ing accompanied by Mrs. Carroll anG
son Kenneth. Miss Lillian will remain
until the close of school after which
she will join her parents. Mr.. Carol
says that section is in a prosperou!
condition now. The timber interest il
large and all saw mills are running full
time and making good pay rolls. HI
is we'll pleased with his prospects Their,
lit will be understood however tina
this estimable family will still claim
Welsh as their home ard that thei
move to Glenmora is only temporary.