LOUISIANA CONSERVATION REVIEW 
 
 
as possible, a Fish Hatchery in every conserva- 
tion area where fishing and the development of 
fisheries is possible. 
   The Beechwood Fish Hatchery, located in 
Rapides Parish near Lecompte, Louisiana, and 
the Hatchery at Lake St. John, in Concordia 
Parish, though both found in bad condition by 
this Administration, prove that this aid to the 
propagation of fish life can be made a great 
success throughout the State. Important im- 
provements and repairs have been made by us to 
these hatcheries. To the Beechwood Hatchery 
has been built a much needed model gravel road 
which gives the general public access to an estab- 
lishment that has cost the State more than 
$100,000. We have undertaken to establish and 
develop hatcheries on Cane River in Natchitoches 
Parish and Lake Bruen in Tensas Parish; and 
have also undertaken to provide two of the great- 
est Fish Hatcheries in this State in areas that 
offer a natural advantage and opportunity for 
such establishment, namely, at Lake Des Alle- 
mands, in the Parishes of St. John, Lafourche 
and St. James, and also at Cross Bayou, an outlet 
of Cross Lake, in Caddo Parish near Shreveport, 
Louisiana. Arrangements have been made by 
coordinating efforts with the Highway Depart- 
ment to connect all Fish Hatcheries and State- 
controlled fishing  plants with   hard-surfaced 
roads. 
         OYSTERS AND WATER BOTTOMS 
    Nowhere in the world can there be found a 
 greater foundation for oyster industry than in 
 Louisiana. The most important consideration 
 with which the oyster industry and the Depart- 
 ment are now concerned is the extension of 
 desirable situations for oyster culture. The 
 Director of the Oyster Division estimates that 
 there are 409,220 acres of water bottoms avail- 
 able for oyster culture out of a total water area 
 of 4,720,502 acres. 
    Louisiana enjoys not only the distinction of 
 being the third largest producer in the United 
 States of this popular sea food, but its oysters 
 are universally known as the most wholesome and 
 most delicious. 
    The Department has been given by the Legis- 
 lature wide authority and discretion in regard to 
 the leasing of the natural oyster beds or reefs, as 
 well as water bottoms on which oysters are not 
 growing or have not always grown, but on which 
 their culture may be undertaken successfully. 
    Under the law the Department is required 
 to reserve certain reefs from leasing, to limit the 
 area of other grounds that may be leased to one 
 lessee, to protect lessees in their leases, prohibit 
 
 
dredging of the natural beds except in water over 
a certain depth, to regulate the size of oysters 
that may be taken from the natural beds. The 
Legislature has given the Department authority 
to restrict the use of sand, shells and gravel from 
the water bottoms of the State by requiring a 
lease and taxes from those using these resources. 
   Unfortunately, the past administrations have 
been too liberal in their discretion, and exer- 
cising the authority given them by legislative en- 
actments. As a consequence, the State's industry, 
and its allied industries involving the culture of 
oysters and leasing of water bottoms, have been, 
to some extent, abused. The granting of long 
leases covering large acreage has brought about 
a condition of an apparent monopoly, meanwhile 
affecting very materially the revenues of the De- 
partment, handicapping the progress and eco- 
nomic extension of leasing. Short-time leases of 
a reasonable acreage would have proven of more 
economic value to the Department and to the best 
interest of the State. However, where large in- 
vestment of capital is required, and as such as- 
sures the State substantial returns by way of 
royalties based on a graduated scale with the 
usual property tax attached to the equipment 
necessary and incident to the operations of sub- 
stantial capital investment, long-term leases may 
be justified. 
    At the regular session of 1926, the Legislature 
 passed Act 258. Section 3 of said act provides 
 that it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or 
 association, or corporation, to ship beyond the 
 limits of this State any oysters caught or taken 
 from the waters of this State, while the same 
 are in the shells, or to export from the State any 
 raw oyster shells. With no other intention on 
 the part of the Legislature than to encourage the 
 establishment and development of the packing in- 
 dustry in this State, this law worked a consider- 
 able hardship on the coast towns of our sister 
 state, Mississippi. To protect the many packers 
 of the thriving and beautiful City of Biloxi, de- 
 pendent on our oyster resource, legal proceedings 
 were brought into courts of the United States 
 for the purpose of nullifying the Louisiana 
 statute. 
    It must be remembered that the Legislative 
 Session of 1926 adopted two comprehensive laws, 
 one governing the shrimp industry and the other 
 governing the oyster industry of the State of 
 Louisiana, with the object of trying to have the 
 State of Louisiana benefit by the manufacturing 
 within the State of products of the waters of the 
 State into articles of merchandise. As stated, the 
 right of Louisiana so to do was attacked in three 
 suits instituted in the United States District Court 
 
 
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