Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-09-03
STATE TURNS
TOPROTECTION
OF FISH LIFE
HOOsier Streams Ably
Suited to Raise
Crops.
LARGE LAKE AREA
Indiana Laws Aid to
Propagation of
Species.
LARGE LAKE AREA
BY GEORGE n. MANNFELD,
Superintendent Fisheries and Game, STATE

BY GEORGE n. MANNFELD,
Superintendent Fisheries and Game, State
Conservation Department.
Saving the fish is problem with which
every State in the Union has to deal The
extent Of the problem depends greatly on
the waters which a State has. Here in
Indiana We feel that the first requisite is
to see that fish life finds the necessary
element in which to live. Polluted waters
drive out the fish, especially game fish.
Therefore, to have the waters and TO
maintain them in suitable condition for
the habitat CT fish is of the greatest i'm
portance.
Indiana has nearly 200 lakes ranging
in size from few acres to some contain
ing 1900 acres or more. Eighteen of
these lakes have an area of over 800
acres. The largest lake in the State is
Lake Wawasee, in KOsciusko County,
covering an area of 1895 acres. Com
bined. our lakes cover an area Of approx
imately $4,000 acres, equivalent to q body
of water seventy-eight miles long and
one mile wide Luckily for the people
of this State, the lakes retain their
crystalline purity. The State also hae
thirty rivers and fifty creeks, many OF
which are in fact rivers. There are 200,
coo acres or more of water available for
raising a crop of fish in Indiana.
The pollution of streams by factory
waste and sewage from cities has done
great. damage to streams, especially those
adjacent to the larger cities. These are
nearly all situated on the banks of riv-
ers or creeks, and for some miles below
the cities fish life is entirely absent.
However, the bulk of the streams of the
State still provide the necessary habitat
for fish Having the waters, it follows
whether they can be maintained in their
present shape and be made productive
of fish. Unlike agriculture, in which the
annual yield can be forecast and actu-
ally ascertained. no one can correctly
estimate what the annual production of
fish in a State may be. In agriculture
we till the ground and sow the seed.
Under favorable conditions we reap a
crop in return, and know and can see
what the crop is Farmers breed cattle
and hogs in an intelligent fashion and
receive results according to the efforts
put forth If any State expects to raise
a good crop of fish, efforts must be put
forth to produce it, This means scien-
tiic study of the waters The taking of
certain fishes during spawning time is
against nature, and the surest way to
decrease the number of fish iii any body
of water would be to prevent their re
production. 1t therefore follows that the
specials we desire most to preserve aad
propagate we must protect during the
pawning period.
sSH REPRODUCE
BEST IN LAKES.
Conditions Of the water and the tenn
j nature thereof bear largely on the re
production of fish. Fish have better
chance to reproduce themselves in lakes
than in streams In streams varying
temperatures and roily water often inter
fere. 1t is seldom that fish get tbs
chance to spawn to the extent they for
merly did. During the months Of Ma!
and June Of the present year, very little
rain fell in this State The streams werf
clear nearly all the time during the spawI
ing period of the black bass and otfr-
game fish.
The fecundity of fish being great they
rapidly multiply. Such fish as the black
bass, which guard their eggs and young
often bring of brood from 5000 to 10
900 young. Several hundred of these
nests In lake or stream viii keep such
waters well stocked, but the young bass
and the parent fish must ind suitable
food prevalent or they VIII consume one
another. If food is not plentiful no ap
preciable increase in their number need
be expected. The plankton OF Il stream
or lake also has great bearing on tbs
growth and survival Of young fishes
Unless it is plentiful, but few will sur
vive.
great clamor has been set up in this
country. and especially in Indiana, for
the State departments to take out all
rough fish from the waters of the State
so as to make room for the game fish
This is foolish propaganda. In the first
place. the rough fish exist mainly on
vegetation. They do not bother the nests
Of the game fish nor do they consume
their young, as is generally supposed
Being herblvorous, they consume a great
deal of moss and other vegetation in the
water, turning it into meat, which other
wise would be a complete waste Game
fish, however, require an immense amount
of live food, and unless this is prevalent
they consume one another in large mum
hers. The young of the rough fish which
also subsist mainly on vegetation, ar
very desirable food for the game fish
The more Of the smaller rough fish {
lake or stream contains, the more bass
and other game fish We may expect t,
find. Game fish grow rapidly and reach
a large size when food is prolific.
CarnigorOus animals, such as the lioi
and tiger, live on the flesh of other
animals. If turned loose in forest. they
will slowly but surely drive out, Kill OF
devour all other animals. 1t is a ques-
ton OF the survival Of the fttest TIL,
result is similar when game fish are in
troduced among fishes living mainly Oh
vegetation.
LAWS NECESSARY
FOR PROTECTION.
To save the fish we most desire t.
have in our waters, therefore, depend!
largely on the number and kind in tn,
body OF watez and also on the repro
duct!on whicI takes place among them
then on the prevalence Of proper foo.
so they viii reach maturity quickly.
Indiana has a population of nearly
three million people and has many non
residents coming into the State to fish
1t is highly necessary, therefore, to reg
ulate fishing. Laws regulating the man
ner of catching, as to the number ans
size that each person nIay take, ar
absolutely necessary, but, above all, tn
enforcement of the laws must be vigor
ously carried out. This we are doins
In Indiana total of l, 421 arrests wer,
made during the year 1920 for violation
Of the game and fish laws-in f0rme
years $50 arrests were considered a yer!
good record.
To sum up I would say that by keep
ing the waters unpolluted, by seeing Il
1t that fish are allowed to spawn un
molested. by cutting down the dali.
catch. and by restocking from State fist
katcheries will do much to save the fish
In time it may be necessarI to institute
further restrictions. A scientific stud.
of the needs of each individual body o.
water may become necessary if full re
suits are to De attained. At present fish