the brood bass in artificial pools where the bass can deposit their eggs naturally, and the young bass can be collected for distribution. The ponds should be so constructed, that after the eggs are hatched and the fry old enough, the adult bass can be driven out of the pond, the fry collected and fed until they attain the fingerling stage for distribution. Until some such system is inaugurated, it will be impossible to secure a sufficient quantity of black bass to meet the requisitions made by our citizens. In the past, all the fingerling bass distributed by the Commission, have been obtained from the United States Commission. Several instances where it has been asked, permission has been granted by your Commission to individuals to obtain the bass by netting, where the bass were supposed to be numerous. This has always resulted in opposition from people living in the vicinity where the netting was done. During the last fall, your Commission made an exhibition of fish at the Danbury fair, and it proved so interesting and attractive to the large number of visitors, that we believe it would be advisable to enlarge the exhibit another year, provided the space can be obtained. The law requiring the owners of nets to make written report of all fish caught by them in Connecticut waters, only requires that they shall give the kind and number of fish, and as it is of no statistical value, we would therefore suggest, that the law may be so changed, that the reports would include the number of individuals employed, the number and value of boats and apparatus used and the quantity and value of product. Thus forming a basis for intelligent conclusions regarding the importance of our coast and inland fisheries. The United States Commission at a large expense, gathers and publishes statistics, but only once in a number of years, which shows the actual value and amount of the Connecticut fisheries on our coast. The last statistics were gathered and published in 1898, showing that 2,473 persons found employment in the fishery business, and the capital invested in vessels, aparatus, etc., amounted to $1,241,291. the product amounted to 31,920,599 pounds, for which the fishermen received $1,559,417. Of our pounds and weirs on the shore, there were 106 numbers assigned in the year 1901, and 111 numbers were assigned in 1902. For seines and nets having a mesh less than two and onehalf inches square, we granted sixty-nine permits in 1901, and seventy-eight permits were granted in 1902, and it is impossible to more than guess at the value of even the product from all these nets as the reports are now made. The Legislature of 1901 enacted a law, authorizing the Commission of Fisheries and Game, to lease in the name of the State, tracts of land throughout the State for the purpose of establishing game preserves. One application has been made under this law, but as no money was appropriated for carrying this law into effect, we have not been able to take advantage of the first step toward providing the game birds a State home, where they may live and breed unmolested. As has been said before, the only way to propagate game, is to protect it while there is some to protect. With the increase of population, game has disappeared as human occupation advances, and the natural passion of mankind for hunting makes the subject of game protection one of almost general interest. There was once a time when our supply of game seemed inexhaustable, but we have lived to realize that bountiful as nature has been, we must not abuse her generosity, or we shall forfeit one of her kindest gifts. It is early yet to expect a marked change in the condition of our game as the result of the enactment of the new law for the protection of game. Nevertheless reports from all sections of the State, indicate there has been material increase as far as partridge and quail are concerned. It is admitted on all sides, that the partridge is the king of all game birds, and if they once become extinct, they are gone forever. Hunting and snaring for the markets had been so persistently carried on, that there was great danger of their total extermination in a short time. The Legislature came to their rescue, as if in answer to the voice of nature appealing to us to spare wisely, and in moderation a few, and preserve them before it was too late, in the enactment of the law prohibiting the sale of partridge, quail and woodcock for two years. The fact should not be lost sight of, that the tendency of all modern legislation everywhere is against the sale and marketing of game birds. Those who have given the subject a moment's serious consideration can not fail to see that the non-sale of game means that less will be killed, and they will increase and multiply. Thirty-eight States of the Union have passed laws prohibiting the sale of game. If the sale of partridges is to be allowed under any circumstances, it should be permitted only under the closest scrutiny possible, and persons dealing in them should be subject to the supervision of State authority, and the number of birds that may be lawfully killed and sold by any one person during a season should be limited to a small number. season than The Game laws are made primarily for the preservation of the game and they must limit the killing both as to the bag and the season so that no more will be killed in any one that which is left can reproduce in the following season. principle of game protection is, in the abstract, popular to-day with the whole people, except those whose selfish interests is to profit by the rapid and unreasonable slaughter. Bird protection appeals to all persons and its importance is becoming more generally appreciated by the farmer who regards them as an inestimable benefit to agriculture, the sportsman who values birds for the pleasure derived from their pursuit as game, and to many people of every class who derive enjoyment from their presence, are all interested in the question of their preservation, and they all have long realized the necessity for stringent measures of protection. The Audubon society and the American Ornothologist union, all over the United States, are doing noble work toward securing better and more protection for non-game birds. These societies are unlike most organizations formed solely to protect game in order that the shooting harvest may be increased. The Audubon society looks only to the saving of birds for the general good of mankind. The society is aggressive, and it is doing particular good and efficient service among the children of the State. A uniform definition of game birds, as proposed by the American Ornothologists union, which restricts the term to four easily recognized groups, has been accepted by ten States and the District of Columbia, Connecticut being one of the ten States. The law reads as follows: "No person shall kill or catch or have in his possession, living or dead, any wild bird other than a game bird; nor shall purchase, offer or expose for sale any such wild bird after it has been killed or caught. No part of the plumage, skin, or body of any bird protected by this section shall be sold or had in possession for sale. For the purpose of this chapter the following only shall be considered game birds: The Anatidae, commonly known as swan, geese, brant, and river and sea ducks; The Rallidae, commonly known as rail, coot, mud hens, and gallinules; The Linicolae, commonly known as shore birds, plover, surf birds, snipe, woodcock, sandpipers, tatlers, and curlows; The Gallinae, commonly known as wild turkey, grouse, prairie chichen, pheasant, partridge and quail. No person shall take or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of any wild bird, nor shall have such nest or eggs in his possession. English sparrows, crows, great horned owls, and hawks, other than fish hawks or osprey, are not included among the birds protected by this chapter." This simple and yet effective law has proved of great value in dividing the birds into two classes, game and nongame birds. This section only refers to non-game birds, as all others are fully protected by special laws. The Biological Survey, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture, is actively engaged in the protection of the North American birds. It is evident that deer are increasing in the State to a satisfactory degree, as frequent press reports show that they > are distributed all over the State. Several complaints of killing deer have been investigated, and in two instances arrests were made, tried and in the higher court failed of conviction. We are convinced that our fish and game laws will be of more force when an adequate system is provided and some method found to pay the fish and game wardens sufficient to warrant their continued interest in the enforcement of the laws. In order to secure, with the least trouble, adequate observation of the new fish and game law it was considered, by your Commission, necessary that they should be generally known and be supported by public sentiment; otherwise they would fail to accomplish the object for which they were enacted. Therefore we had two thousand copies printed, in a pocket edition form, and distributed to the wardens as soon as practical after the acts of the legislature were available. This diffusion of information has proven to yield most satisfactory results in the aid of the enforcement of the fish and game laws. The demand on the Commission for copies of them was phenomenal. In another part of this report will be found a list of the fish and game wardens and seine inspectors appointed by this Commission, a list of the special protectors, the financial report, tables showing the distribution of fish, areas of ponds and lakes, catch of fish for the years 1901 and 1902, list of persons licensed to take birds and eggs for scientific purposes, violations of the fish and game laws, and a list of Commissioners of other States, also an abstract of fish and game laws. We have been privileged to extend permission to the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries to collect lobster eggs, for the purpose of propagation, along our coast. In closing this part of the report, we desire to acknowledge our indebtedness to the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries, and express our hearty appreciation of the uniform, courteous and liberal treatment that has been accorded us, and for the lake, rainbow, land-locked and Atlantic salmon eggs, for young black bass, and various publications. We are under obligations to our Senators and Congressmen in Washington for their labors in behalf of the Commission, also to the New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad Co., for transporting fish throughout the State and returning cans free of charge, also to the Central New England Railroad Co. We wish to express sincere thanks to the press of the State for uniform courtesies extended. Respectfully submitted, GEORGE T. MATHEWSON, E. HART GEER Commissioners of Fisheries and Game. |