"At every legislature there are introduced many bills relating to fishing in eastern North Carolina, nearly all of which are local in the benefits that are supposed will be derived by their passage, and have been drawn up regardless of the hardships or the injustice they may work on other sections of the same county or other counties; and no thought is given as to how it will affect the interests of the State.

"Two of the main questions that should receive the serious consideration of the convention are: The value of the Fish Commission to the State as a whole; and the necessity of passing adequate laws which will permit of the cultivation of oysters in the waters of North Carolina. Another question that we must consider is the protection of game fish in the mountain streams of the western part of the State and in this connection it would be well to take up the advisability of bringing under the jurisdiction of the Audubon Society the protection of the game fish in this section. We have with us as a delegate to the convention Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary of the Audubon Society, who will later discuss this phase of the work."

The first question taken up for discussion was the value of the work of the Fish Commission to the State and regarding the extension of its jurisdiction. It was nearly unanimously acknowledged that the Fish Commission had been a benefit to the fishing industries in those counties under its jurisdiction and that it would be for the best interests of the State to have all the counties in eastern North Carolina in which commercial fishing is carried on come under the jurisdiction of the Fish Commission; but the convention was also of the opinion that it should not recommend that all the counties be forced to come under the jurisdiction of the Fish Commission.

Mr. T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary of the State Audubon Society, addressed the convention at the afternoon meeting, August 26th, and stated in some detail the necessity of protecting our natural resources and showed how, with unrestrained hunting and fishing, the supply of birds and fish would grow scarcer and scarcer. Nature has made allowance for the destruction of a certain number of all kinds of animals by their natural enemies in the animal world, but when man steps in he creates an artificial condition with which nature finds it difficult or impossible to cope. We have two questions in connection with the conservation of these resources; first, to preserve what is here and second, to propagate. Each of these is as important as the other. Mr. Pearson stated that about 20 years ago there was something like $11,000 spent in this country in the protection of game birds and fishes, while at the present time there are over $2,000,000 spent annually. He showed how

it is impossible to protect the fish either on the coast of North Carolina or in the mountain streams without an adequate amount of money to carry on the work. In discussing the subject of the protection of game fishes in central and western North Carolina, Mr. Pearson stated that many persons interested in these had asked if the laws could not be amended in such a way that the wardens, acting under the Audubon Society, would have the enforcement of the laws relating to game fish in the western part of the State. Mr. Pearson was of the opinion that the State Audubon Society would gladly undertake this work of protecting the game fish in connection with their work of protecting the game birds. A motion was, therefore, made and passed by the convention that it would be to the best interests of the Fish Commission and that the game fish could be better protected if this protection of the game fish in the middle and western counties should be brought under the jurisdiction of the State Audubon Society, provided the people of the central and western portions of the State desired it.

RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED.

The following resolutions were presented to the convention by the delegates from their respective counties.

BEAUFORT COUNTY.

Resolved, That the fishermen of Beaufort County are in favor of a closed season from the 20th of April to the 1st of June for the protection especially of shad and herring during their spawning season, and that all pound-nets, drag-nets of whatever description shall be taken out of the waters of Beaufort County during that period.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY.

Resolutions presented by Charles D. Jones.

WHEREAS, At Fayetteville, Cumberland County, N. C., the fishing for shad is done with bow-nets and during the fishing season freshets prevail about one-half the time, so that there is sufficient depth of water to enable an abundant supply of shad and other fish to pass to the spawning grounds; and,

WHEREAS, At Prospect Hall and at the Inlet at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, certain forms of fishing are being carried on which are detrimental to the interests of the general fishing industry; and,

WHEREAS, Special agents sent out by the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries have reported that these conditions are injurious to the fishing industries,

Be it Resolved, By the Fishermen of Cumberland County, that they request the Fish and Oyster Convention held at Morehead City, at the call of Governor R. B. Glenn, to consider these conditions to recommend such legislation as will protect the interests of both fishermen and consumer, and prevent the destructive and ruinous methods of fishing as mentioned above.

CURRITUCK COUNTY.

Resolutions presented by W. J. Tate.

WHEREAS, The fishing industry of Currituck County is practically confined to black bass, and as they are not a migratory fish, but are spawned and reared naturally in Currituck Sound; and,

WHEREAS, Currituck Sound produces from one-half to three-fourths of the total yield of the State; and,

WHEREAS, Currituck County has for years and is now jealously protecting this industry by local laws passed by our representatives, said laws making an early closing season sufficient for breeding purposes;

In view of the foregoing, we, your Committee, fail to see any benefits to be derived by our County in placing ourselves under the administration of the Fish Commission. We consider it unjust and a hardship upon us to be taxed to protect an industry that we are already giving intelligent protection. And we suggest that this meeting instruct our delegates to the Fish and Oyster Convention at Morehead City to use their best efforts to prevent Currituck County from coming under the administration of the Fish Commission.

DARE COUNTY.

Resolved, That the fishermen of Dare County be permitted to fish a distance of 4,000 yards from Long Shoal Point at right angles to a line running along the shoal, the nets to extend toward the west.

NEW HANOVER COUNTY.

Petition presented by Geo. H. Smith.

We, the undersigned, appointed delegates of New Hanover County, desire to place before this honorable body a few things that we consider of very great importance to our section.

ARTICLE 1. That the fishermen of our county may be allowed to fish one and one-eighth bar and upwards, but nothing less, upon the grounds that our waters are not used for breeding purposes. The depth of our fishing waters is from five to ten feet, and it is a well-established fact that such water depth is not used for breeding purposes at any time.

ART. 2. That there be a commissioner appointed to see that such laws shall be enforced in New Hanover County.

ART. 3. That each and every fisherman owning or fishing with net or seine in these waters shall be taxed a small amount to defray the said expense.

PAMLICO COUNTY.

The following petition, signed by over 200 citizens of Pamlico County, and addressed to His Excellency, Governor R. B. Glenn, was presented to the convention :

"We, the undersigned citizens of Pamlico County, respectfully ask you to take some steps to protect us against the taking up by entry of our natural oyster bottoms. Several entries have been made and grants secured for such oyster bottom as has been heretofore affording a support for many of our citizens during the oyster season. If it lies in your power, we would further ask you to annul these grants that have been issued for said bottom and give back to us our natural oyster grounds." The report of the Fish Commissioner, Mr. Theo. S. Meekins, was submitted and read.

REPORT OF FISH COMMISSIONER.

Members of the Convention:

MANTEO, N. C., August 14, 1908.

Having been requested by Mr. Joseph Hyde Pratt, State Geologist, to present my views as to the present laws regulating fishing and to offer such changes and recommendations as my judgment dictates, I beg leave to submit the following:

In the first place, I shall endeavor to discuss such laws as are of a general nature, disregarding the great number of private and local measures which time and space now forbids, and deal with those affecting the greater number interested in the fish industry.

In my January report to the Geological and Economic Survey Board, I recommended the codification of the fishing laws for North Carolina. My reason for doing this was due to the vast number of Acts upon the statute books dealing with almost every locality where fishing is carried on to such an extent that it is almost impossible to ascertain what the law is, as applied generally, as each succeeding Legislature has been inclined to restrict the fishing industry, having as its object the promotion of the industry, thereby adding statute upon statute so that to-day one not versed in the law can make only a feeble attempt to state or execute the

law. This work of codification has been granted by the Board and in a short time will be ready for distribution.

Under the head of changes and recommendations, I respectfully submit the following:

First. That Section 2424 of the Revisal of 1905 be repealed for the reason that Section 2440 of the Revisal of 1905 makes the necessary restrictions.

Second. That Section 2428 of the Revisal of 1905 be repealed because Section 2429 of the Revisal of 1905 includes the former and makes the necessary restrictions, except the penalty, which should be added to Section 2429, and to this I recommend the following changes: That all after the word "year" in line 16 be repealed and in lieu thereof the following be inserted:

"That any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars in the discretion of the Court."

Third. That Section 2432 of the Revisal of 1905 be amended by omitting the word "authorized" in line four and inserting in lieu thereof the word "directed."

Fourth. That Section 2433 of the Revisal of 1905 be repealed. I make this recommendation because it is not practical and to enforce said section would stop all pound- and gill-net fishing within the limits named; in fact, would eliminate all fishing for commercial purposes within the boundaries named in said section.

Fifth. Section 2440 of the Revisal of 1905, commonly known as the Vann Bill, is in my opinion, after having one year's experience as Fish Commissioner, almost all the law necessary for such territory as it covers. With slight modifications, it is a wise law and one of vast importance to the fishing industry of the State. The survey made last winter was almost all the marking of the territory under this section.

In my opinion, this section should be changed so as to make the tenmile S. E. line from Big Island, read five miles S. E. by E. one-eighth E. from Roanoke Marshes Light House, as recommended by Mr. W. F. Hill. I also recommend that one thousand yards be allowed around Hog Island Marsh instead of five hundred yards.

I respectfully call your attention to the situation on either side of Roanoke Marshes, and recommend that straight lines be run from the stake 2000 yards from the shore in the two and one-half mile radius from Roanoke Marshes Light House to 500 yards eastward from the point of Roanoke Marshes, and that straight lines be run from the stake one-fifth the width of Croatan Sound in the two and one-half radius from Roanoke