| Page. | |||
| Present conditions | [3] | ||
| The mussel industry | [3] | ||
| Depletion of the resources | [4] | ||
| The interests of the community | [5] | ||
| Artificial propagation of mussels by the Government | [7] | ||
| Establishment of propagation | [7] | ||
| Results dependent upon protection | [8] | ||
| Protection | [9] | ||
| Essential considerations for effective legislation | [9] | ||
| Examination of protective measures | [10] | ||
| Two measures for immediate application | [10] | ||
| Measures not suited to existing conditions | [10] | ||
| Size limit—necessity and application | [12] | ||
| Exhaustive nature of the fishery | [12] | ||
| Waste illustrated | [13] | ||
| Size limit in relation to economy | [15] | ||
| Reasons for the proposed 2-inch limit | [16] | ||
| Details essential to effective legislation | [17] | ||
| Closed regions—necessity and application | [18] | ||
| Injury to spawning mussels and to young | [18] | ||
| Considerations determining size of closed regions | [19] | ||
| Practicable division of river systems illustrated | [20] | ||
| Procedure for establishing closed regions | [21] | ||
| Enforcement of the law | [22] | ||
| Summary of recommended legislation | [23] | ||
[3]THE PROTECTION OF FRESH-WATER MUSSELS.
By R. E. Coker, Ph. D.,
Director United States Biological Station, Fairport, Iowa.
[PRESENT CONDITIONS.]
[THE MUSSEL INDUSTRY.]
The history of the fresh-water mussel industry gives illustration of the promptness with which an American industry may be developed once the pathway is found. Undertaken in a small way scarcely more than a score of years ago, the manufacture of pearl buttons began almost immediately to assume the proportions of an important national industry. As early as 1898, when the enterprise was only 6 years old, there were about 50 factories in more than a dozen towns along the Mississippi. With improved machinery and methods further expansion occurred, until within a few years the output approximated 30 million gross of buttons, with a value of many millions of dollars. The growth of the industry has continued to the present time, but exact figures will not be available until the Bureau has completed a statistical survey now in progress.