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Show Fish and Game Hews Notes . . . Arrest reports covering convictions con-victions for fish and game law violations during 1953 totaled an even 1,700, This compares with 1,369 arrests and convictions during dur-ing 1952. These and other figures are shown in the yearly compilation of arrest reports made by Chief Warden War-den Peay of the Utah Department of Fish and Game. He cited the considerable in- site where first releases of this was made three years ago. The chukars were trapped in the wild by Dr. Gardiner Bump of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and flown directly from Turkey to Salt Lake City. Only stop from wild trapping to release back to the wild was for the quarantine period in New York.. This shipment brings the total number of wild chukars from Turkey released at the Sevier County Co-unty site to 797 birds. It is the last phase of the three year federal aid program to establish the wild species spe-cies in this area. If other birds are receved through the Service, they will be released into new sites. Success of the wild chukar plant seems assured as numbers of young broods of birds have been in evidence during the past two years, according to the spokesmen. A total of 7,547 chukar partridge part-ridge have been released into 18 other chosen areas over the state during the three years of the program to establish this bird in Utah. Birds for all but the Sevier plant have been raised at state game bird farms. A Walleyed pike recently taken in Utah Lake showed exceptional growth since planted there in June of 1952. The fish weighed one and three quarter pounds and measured meas-ured 15 inches in length. Apparent success of the walleyed wall-eyed pike plants made during the past three years in ten waters over the state is indicated by the return of this species from the seven waters wat-ers planted during the first two years. Department biologists believe that plants made in Utah Lake, Yuba Reservoir, the Hyrum Reservoir Reser-voir and Lower Bear River waters presently indicate the successful establishment of this species. crease in arrests for the year due to more alert and uniform enforcement enforce-ment work on the part of department depart-ment officers as well as the heavy increase in the numbers going afield. Other figures show fines imposed impos-ed by the courts during 1953 amounted to less than during the previous year in spite of the increased in-creased number of arrests. The 1953 report lists $39,778.29 assessed asses-sed in fines, $8,981 suspended, with actual return being $30,797.29. For 1952 fines totaled $45,713, $14, 179.50 suspended, final return being $31,533.50. A net difference differ-ence of $736.21 less was returned from fines during 1953 than for the previous year. Further analysis shows the average aver-age fine assessed by the courts to have dropped from $23 plus during 1952 to $18 plus during 1953. Department officers believe the chief reasons for this decrease in the average fine is due largely to the lack of minimum fine figures in the new law code. These were deleted by the law makers this year and were previously believed to be a guide to the courts when fish and game law violations were on trial. Further figures show only 24 cases being dismissed by the courts as compared with 36 for 1952. Confiscations of illegally used equipment included 26 guns and 8 fishing poles with reels and lines attached. , ' The 1,700 arrests covered violations vio-lations of 47 sections of the law, Among the most common violations violat-ions and number of arrests for each were: Failing to tag game (440); fishing without a license (128); fishing closed waters (98); shooting after hours (72); illegal possession of game (116); shooting shoot-ing game birds out of season (59). Nine hunters were arrested for failure to wear red while hunting big game as prescribed under the new code for 1953. Wild chukar partridge numbering number-ing 173 birds recently arrived by air frieght from Turkey, according accord-ing to spokesmen for the Utah Department De-partment of Fish and Game. They were released immediately immediate-ly into the Sevier County planting |