THE CABINET

State Lines

The Fish Conservation Conference called by Secretary of Commerce Hoover (TIME, May 18) brought together at Washington the representatives of the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states. Mr. Hoover placed a problem before them and they promptly asked him to aid in its solution.

He presented facts:

"Fish do not recognize state lines and no one state can give of its own action adequate protection to any single one of our Atlantic Coast species.

"Thirty years ago, the annual take of shad in the states from Georgia to New York was over 50,000,000 pounds per annum.

"But, from overfishing, the catch has decreased steadily until during the past few years, it has averaged less than 13,000,000 pounds per annum. They sell for about $1.75 per fish. Towns and villages which formerly thrived upon them are growing poorer and poorer by the loss of livelihood.

"Now here comes the sardonic humor. The Federal Bureau of Fisheries transplants young shad into California, where there was never a shad before. Under the careful protection of the California Fish Commission, they thrived until, this year, California will ship about 2,000,000 pounds on ice 3,000 miles into the Atlantic seaboard states, where they are solemnly sold as the great and rare delicacies of the Atlantic waters.

"We could tell the same story with regard to lobsters, crabs and oysters, and sturgeon and salmon, all along the Atlantic coast."

Aroused by these words, the Conference promptly bade Mr. Hoover appoint a commission composed of members of the Fish Commissions of the Atlantic states to solve the problem.