Forest and Stream, April 26, 1877

Untitled

Natural resources -- Conservation - GameSea -- Finfish - LegislationSea -- Finfish - Methods : Pound-netSea -- Finfish - Methods : Purse and other netsSea -- Market hunting

VIRGINIA. -- The Virginia Legislature has recently passed some very important bills relating to fish and game. The first applies to the protection of fish above tidewater, and briefly is as follows:

SEC. 1 prohibits the taking of any fish in the waters of the commonwealth, except bait fish, above tidewater for a period of six years, by any means except angling with hook and line.

SEC. 2 makes a close season for trout (Salmo fontinalis) from September 15th until April 1st, and for black bass or pond bass (Southern chub) from May 15th until July 1st, and shooting or spearing either of these fish is prohibited.

The succeeding sections apply to having in possession the use of poisons, etc., and the penalties, the latter of which is fixed at twenty dollars, or thirty days imprisonment for each offence. The act goes into force immediately.

The second act is for the protection of fish in tidewater. The following are its principal features:

SEC. 1 prohibits the use of purse nets in Chesapeake Bay at night or on Sunday, or in any of the rivers or creeks of the State, or within two miles of the mouth of said rivers or creeks. Pound nets are also prohibited in a like manner, and the latter nets are also prohibited in any of the waters of the commonwealth during the months of June, July and August, or in such manner at any time as to obstruct the channels. The act goes into operation November 30th of this year.

In this latter act it seems to us that the framers of the law have erred in placing the prohibition upon pound nets during the month named, instead of the three months preceding, or at least during April, May and June. It is during these months that the great Northern migration of sea fishes takes place, and it has been found that to induce these fishes, such as the blue fish, weak fish, sheepshead, etc., to return to their old spawning and feeding grounds, in the waters of New Jersey and New York, pounds must be abolished during the months named. The mischief is all done before July, and the same would occur in more Southern waters at an earlier date.

The act for the protection of game is as follows:

SEC. 1 makes a close season for partridges (quails) between February 1st and November 1st, and setting or trapping is prohibited until after the expiration of two years from the passage of the act.

SEC. 2 makes a close season for ruffed grouse from February 1st until August 1st, for woodcock between February 1st and July 1st, for robins between April 1st and November 1st, and protects insectivorous birds.

SEC. 3 makes it unlawful to kill or capture any wild water fowl between April 1st and September 1st, except summer duck and sora (rail), and prohibits the killing of wild fowl between dark and daybreak, or the use of any gun that cannot be held at arm's length. Wild geese may be killed either during the day or night providing reflectors are not used at night.

SEC. 4 protects wild turkeys between February 1st and October 15th.