Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-01-17
COMMISSION URGES
CHANGE IN LAWS
Appropriation for Survey of
Wisconsin Lakes Is Sug-
gested to Legislature.
Other Changes.

sion the Forestry commission ana The
State Park commission, will ask the
legislature for several important
changes in laws governing its field Of
adm DistratiOn
In the division of fisheries, Of which
Commissioner Nevin has charge, some
important changes will be recon-
mended.
The commission desires authority
to sell and fix the prices for wAitefish
and lake trout during the closed sea
son of one month, when the state
catches the fish to obtain the spawn.
The catching during the closed month
is about 100000 pounds. These fish
under the present law become the
property of the fishermen who sell
them to Chicago dealers for II and IA
cents per pound. They are then
shipped back for retailing in Wiscon-
sin for about Is cents. If the COM
mission is given permission to fix
prices and sell, these $50 tons of fine
fish can be sold direct to Wisconsin
consumers as rough fish are. now sold
and would cost little more than half
what is now paid tor them.
The commission will ash for suffi-
cient appropriation to complete the
survey OF the streams of the state
This was begun two years ago and
good progress was made while appro-
priation held out. The purpose OF
the survey is to determine what kind
of fish fry to plant Hundreds Of appli-
cations for fry are received for waters
about which the commission knows
nothing, and cannot tell whether the
kind of fish asked for would thrive in
them Mr.. Nevin believes when the
survey is completed, enabling the
commission to supply fry intelligently
there will be marked increase in the
game fish.
The legislature will be asked to
amend the law governing fishing in
outlying, waters SO whitetish or trout
below two pounds in weight connot
be taken.
Tie commission will recommend
the repeal of the 8-inch perch law for
the waters of upper Green Bay, to
permit perch less than 8 inches in
length to be taken and careful invest
igation by the commission shows that
so far as the waters of the upper end
of Green Bay is concerned, only a
small percentage of perch ever reach
the 8-inch length.
The commission hopes the legisla-
ture will authorize the establishment
of trout hatchery in the Interstate
park at St. Croix Falls, which is par
ticularly well adapted to trout raising.
A lengthening of the closed season
for black bass is another recommends
tion. The spawning time for black
bass is in June, and many bass are
taken in June on the spawning beds.
AS substitute for such extension,
Mr.. Nevin recommends the closing Of
certain spawn sections at lakes where
black bass abound.
The muskalonge law which permits
the taking of these fish of minimum
length of "a inches, the commission
believes should be changed to raise the
minimum length.
Three kinds of birds, the commits
sion believes, should not have legal
protection. There are the king6sher,
the American bittern and the blue
herons. All of these destroy fish, es-
socially the last two, which are night
feeders
1t is believed wise to repeal the cisco
license law, as it encourages the pur-
chase Of 100-foot nets, which are likely
to be used illegally to- take other fish.
The cisco run-in Novem Der and are
known variously a, cisco, tubele and
whitefiSh.
The commission may ask for an ap
porpriation to enable it to catch full
grown croppies in Wolf river for dis
tributlon in other waters
Claiming LAS been so generally
carried on i'm the streams Of the state
that the commission fears the clam
may soon become extinct. Mr.. New
in favors license law requiring the
license to report the AMOUNT taken
annually.
A closed season lor all varieties OF
fish on the waters of Lake Michigan,
from Oct. 81 to Nov q, the commits
sion believes should be provided. for
The law fixing the size of mesh in
pound nets and that prohibiting the
setting of nets in less than 40 fathoms
of water both should be repealed.
A closed season for lake trout and
whitefish in Lake Suberior, from Oct.
/ to Nov l, should be provided, and
in the same waters no gill nets should
be permitted of less than q inches
stretch measure, from Jan. to Oct
each year.
The commission believes no resident
hook and line licenses should be fixed
at 81 per year.
The game fish transportation law
should be amended to read, mot more
than lawful bag limit OF any one vari-
ETY. in one shipment
The law fixing the minimum size
for nike canpht with hook and line