SMILEY, CHARles W., Changes in the fisheries of the Great Lakes during the decade of 1870-1880 SMITH, HUGH M., 1882, p. 28- 37 Japan, the paramount fishing nation------1904, p. 111-138 (17 cuts) The International Congress of Fisheries at Vienna, 1905 Remarks on sponge cultivation--- Fishery legislation before the Fifty-ninth Congress, first session Some observations on European fisheries and fish culture STEARNS, ROBERT E. C., The giant clams of Puget Sound Intentional and unintentional distribution of spe 1905, p. 256 -1905, p. 256 1906, p. 91- 96 -1907, p. 170-179 The transportation of fish The artificial propagation of salmon in the Co lumbia River basin. A national salmon park.......... The chinook salmon: its non-feeding habits in fresh waters 1878, p. 16- 22 .1880, p. 20- 30 1884, p. 21- 31 -1892, p. 149-162 1894, p. 26- 34 The origin of the American Fisheries Society-----1898, p. 56-64 The spawning habits of the lake sturgeon---------1900, p. 118-123 Sturgeon hatching in the Lake Champlain basin----1901, p. 137-143 STEVENSON, CHAS. H., The fishery census of 1908----. STRANAHAN, J. J., Transplanting fish The handling of adhesive eggs The microscope as practically applied to fish cul ture Lack of fertilization vs. arrested segmentation-----1900, p. 173-175 Fish culture on the farm---- 1909, p. 79-82 .1891, p. 46- 47 1894, p. 22- 25 ------1898, p. 88-92 (2 plates) 1902, p. 130-135 Three main points necessary to successful bass culture -1903, p. 126-130 Assorting brood black bass to prevent cannibalism.-1906, p. 183-184 --1903, p. 208-213 1909, p. 160-161 Feeding; its effect on growth and egg production__1902, p. 125-129 The golden trout--- THOMSON, G. H., Protecting the undersized trout.. TITCOMB, JOHN W., Wild trout spawn; methods of collection and utility -1897, p. 73-86 (3 cuts) Desirability of state organization for the promotion of fish culture and for the procurement of state legislation for the propagation and protection of food and game fishes.. .1898, p. 120-125 Photography and the stereopticon in fish culture---1899, p. 55-61 Progress and experiments in fish culture during the past year in the Bureau of Fisheries----------1905, p. 57-74 Reminiscences of the fisheries in South America___1905, P. 117 Progress and experiments in fish culture in the TOMLIN, W. D., Migration of Lake Superior fish.......... A suggestion; the specialist in fish culture__----- TOWNSEND, CHARLES H., TRUE, FREDERic W., The porpoise fishery of Cape Hatteras... VAN CLEEF, J. S., (2 fig.) 1887, p. 60- 64 -1893, p. 154-159 _1895, p. 49-51 1897, p. 93-100 p. 128-138 The cultivation of fishes in small ponds----- _1907, -1885, p. 32- 36 1885, p. 50- 55 --1895, p. 28- 35 1908, p. 122-124 How to restore trout streams__ Decadence of our trout streams.. WAGNER, GEORGE, Tullibee (Argyrosomus tullibee Richardson) as a fish of economic importance--. WARD, HENRY B., Aquacultural experiment stations and their work---1898, p. 125-132 Some notes on fish food in the lakes of the Sierras-1903, p. 218-220 Some points in the migration of Pacific salmon as -1908, p. 92-100 shown by its parasites----Notes on the leaping of the Pacific salmon---------1909, p. 162-167 WASHBURN, F. L., Deep sea dredging on the U. S. Steamer Albatross-1886, p. 17- 21 Exhibition of original contrivances for use at brook --1900, p. 51-68 (7 fig.) The quality of the water a factor in rearing trout _1901, p. 105-110 1874, p. 38- 44 1875, p. 40- 41 1884, p. 209-212 North Carolina encouragement to shellfish culture--1887, p. 53- 59 The recent hatching of striped bass and possibilities with other commercial species---. -1904, p. 223-228 Early history of the fisheries on the Great Lakes--1892, p. 163-179 Some observations on the moral phases of modern fish culture A new hatchery---- YELLOW PERCH DISCUSSION.. -1895, p. 59- 71 1895, p. 83-88 REPORTS OF COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS -1909, p. 192-195 ( 1906, p. 189-200 (2 fig.) 1907, p. 66- 98 1907, p. 174-182 PROTECTING THE LOBSTER BY FRANCIS H. HERRICK The true condition of the lobster fishery cannot be determined from reports upon single regions or for single years. When long periods are considered the statistics as a whole present the clearest evidence of decline. In deciding the question of actual increase or decrease in the lobster, certain variables must be duly considered; yet, it is these highly important variable factors which are apt to be neglected. To state that more lobsters were captured one season than another, without a knowledge of the conditions under which these catches were made, affords no reliable basis for determining the true state of the fishery. We need to know also the numbers of men engaged, and of traps used, as well as the character of the areas fished, and the size of the animals caught. The lobster fisheries of Canada, next to those of the codfish and salmon, are most valuable to the Dominion, and from 1869 to 1906 inclusive yielded a grand total of $83,291,553. In 1897 the product of this industry was estimated at 23,721,554 pounds, with a value of $3,485,265. In 1906, ten years later, in spite of rising prices, the yield had dropped to 20,241,764 pounds, but though less than at the earlier time by nearly three and one half million pounds, this quantity had nearly the same value, namely, $3,422,927. The greatest yield of this fishery is recorded for the years 1885 to 1887, in 1886 reaching approximately 34,000,000 pounds, these quantities in all cases representing the meat preserved in cans, and the animals shipped alive. This great fishery has much to hope for in propagative. measures of the right sort, and all persons the world over who like lobsters should welcome every sign of its actual increase. At the same time we should wish to know the truth of the matter, and a long memory is necessary. The produce of the Maine lobster fishery for 1907 is stated to have been between 8,000,000 and 9,000,000 pounds of lobsters 102 inches and over in length. This seems a large quantity, but if we go back fifteen years, to 1892, we find that it is only about one-half the amount recorded for that year, namely, 17,642,677 pounds. But is it not rather significant that the smaller quantity was worth in market nearly three times as much as the larger, or $2,000,000 as compared with $663,043? To catch the smaller number, moreover, required some 400 more men, using I do not know how many more traps, and working I cannot say how much wider or more diverse a field. Now it is such facts as these which lead us to pause when we hear of increased yields to this industry, and inquire if our friend has duly considered the variables in his problem. For until he has done this his assertions have no value, and may be grossly misleading both to himself and to others. So far as I have been able to analyze statistics at present available the conclusion seems inevitable that the lobster fisheries in both America and Europe have steadily declined from the time when they began to be pursued with the means and energy characteristic of modern conditions, beginning in Canada nearly a quarter of a century ago. The cause of this decline is evident; more lobsters have been destroyed than nature has been allowed to replace by her slow processes of reproduction and growth. How have we tried to check this declining tendency by legislative and other means? Various curative measures have been adopted, which will be discussed more fully in another place, but for the present we can dwell upon the two most important only, the gauge laws, and the practice of artificially hatching the eggs and immediately liberating the young in the sea. The first is prohibitory, penalizing the destruction and sale of lobsters of either sex under 9 or 101⁄2 inches in length, while the second is a constructive measure, by means of which it is hoped to increase the species. |