Evening star., 1940-03-19
Anglers Must Share
Blame for Depletion,
Conference Told
Official Cites Increase in
Sportsmen in Defending
Commercial Fisheries

CharleS E. jackson, acting commits
sioner of fisheries. today told the
North American Wildlife Conference
critics ARE not justified in placing
the blame for depletion entirely on
the commercial fishermen
Chesapeake Bay sports fishermen
have increased by one-third in the
last four years to 100000, he said.
and more than 1000 guides and
boatmen are employed each year.
Recent criticism that the Bureau
of Fisheries is commercial minded
is unjustified. he declared, since
$4,000 more was spent for game
fisheries than for commercial fish,
cries last year.
Although the bureaus hatcheries
produced 7.00O,O00,OOO commercial
species in 1889 and only 1000 900 900
game fish, Mr.. Jackson pointed out
that the cost OF producing the COM
mercial type is much lower than the
cost for game fish. The larger cost
is due to the distribution of game
fish as fingerlings after they have
attained growth up ITO inches.
while commercial types are planted
as fry.
SpOrtsmen Catch More.
Tagging of fish in South Bay,
Long Island. indicated commercial
fishermen had smaller catch than
sportsmen.
Not until the sport fishermen
and the commercial fishermen un-
derstand that fish conservation is
one and the same problem for both
groups will those of us charged with
the responsibility of protecting the
American fisheries have the full
benefit of increased personnel and
adequate appropriations to bring
about the fullest use of a valuable
resource that under our form of
government belongs to all the
people. Every citizen has an equal
right to the use of fish, whether it
be taken in net or on hook"
After seven years of high-scale
conservation activities blythe Civilian
Conservation Corps only a start
has been made in protecting our
feathered, furred and finny friends"
Charles H. Taylor, assistant director
OF the c. c. c., told the conference
III session at the Mayflower Hotel.
There still remains the tremen-
dous acreage of rich farm lands
that are wasting away through ero-
sion, the wide sweeps of forests that
still are in need of improvement and
care. the hundreds of streams that
must be improved in the interesat
OF flood and erosion control" and
increased protection of wild life.
23S Refugees Built.
The twin objective is to make
this country better place to live
III from the standpoint of the people
with whom we live and the envi-
ronment in which we live Mr.. Tay-
lor declared.
Up to the end of last year C. C. c.
enrollees helped in developing g.
$4,000 acres purchased for wild life
refugees at 238 different locations
Camps are being maintained in "a
game refugees. he said.
The decimation of the wild life
population by human hands was
equaled or exceeded by the destruc-
ton of feeding and watering areas"
ne said, Along the western fly-
ways where migrating birds set
tied each fall and spring to feed.
water and rest. drought. intensified
by agricultural usage and other
causes, ruined many of the water
holes, turning them into barren
areas. Game animals that for un-
numbered years had frequented the
areas disappeared. many dying be-
fore they could find other water and
food"
This condition has been relieved
to some extent and virtually every
camp makes some contribution to
Wild life conservation he said. The
enrolleeS have built hundreds of
to conserve water, and
have planted millions of trees and
other cover to check erosion.
The eternal controversy between
hunters and farmers over trespass-
ing was aired in panel discussion,
with Senator Pittman of Nevada as
chairman. Among the speakers
were Mr.. Jackson. John D. Chalk,
president of the international Asso-
citation of Game, Fish and Con-
servation Commissioners: D. I.
Rasmussen, leader of the Utah Co.
operative Wild Life MANAGEMENT
Research Unit; Frank C. Edminster,
United States Soil Conservation
Service; Colin Reed of the PENN
sylvania Federation of Sportsmen's
Clubs, Arnold Nicholson, associate
editor of Country Gentleman, and
Paul Miller of the United States
Biological Survey.
The farmers side was to have
been presented by Louis J. Taber,
master of the National Grange, and
Edward A. O'Neal, president of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
but they failed to appear.
Some of the sportsmen recon-
mended paying fees to farmers for
the privilege of shooting over their
land and others objected. Mr..
Miller suggested that a council OF
farmers and hunters be formed to
reach some standard policy for va
rious regions or States.