Ellsworth American., 1874-06-25
Growing scarcity of Fish on our Coasts.

FOR several years the growing scarcity
OF fish in the bays along our shores has
been noted by fishermen. In many of the
bays and shallow waters which swarmed
with abundance of fish, forty or nv years
ago, few are now to be found. Further
south on the coast, in the waters of Nass.-
chusetts and Rhode Island, still greater
decrease has been observed. This decrease
mas Deen SO rapid, that apprehensions have
been felt that at time not far distant many
Of the kinds will be entirely extinct.
ms gradual dlminution 50 strongly at
tracted the attention of fishermen and 9TH
ers on those coasts, that petitions were
presented to the Massachusetts and Rhode
Island legislature some four years ago to
inquire into the cause and provide a reme-
dy 1t was finally decided to bring the sub
Ject TO the attention of Congress; and, in
1871, Congress passed an act authorizing
the President to appoint a Commissioner,
and, soon after, Mr.. Spencer F. Baird was
appointed, and he has since then been de-
voting his time and study exclusively to
TO the subject, and the report of his inves-
tieation is now being published. He states
that he has found but very little aid from
books or reports previously published upon
the subject, and but very little help from
the statements of fishermen. 1t was found
essential to study the natural history Of
tnose Hsnernen ana their associates in the
sea.
Mr.. Baird assigns the first cause OF the
increasing scarcity to the prebaceous fish
which seem more plentiful than formerly.
and especially the blue fish. This fish, he
says, seems to live only to destroy. No
other sea coast than that of the Atlantic
border of the United States can show 80
destructive a scourge as this fish. Its vo-
racity is spoken of as enormous. Where
ever it appears in large numbers nearly all
other fishes disappear. Their great num-
bers are shown by the fact that no less than
10000 of them representing weight of
100000 pounds have been taken in single
night.
The second cause of the growing search
ty is the new modes of fishing, by which
adult male and female fishes rife with milt
and spawn are taken in vastly greater num-
bers than formerly. From all the facts as
certained, it seems to be pretty well estab-
| lished, that every fish returns to its own
birth place to reproduce its kind, and con-
tinues to do so, year by year, during its
life. As most fish require from three to
five years growth before they are capable
of reproduction they usually stay in the
deep sea until that time. They have diff-
erent lines of smigr alton, and If nets are
| set along their line Of travel and an appre-
| ciaole portion of them are caught up BE-
fore they have spawned, it is very easy to
see why the stock should gradually dimin-
ish. Five or ten years of this kind of fish,
ing will exhaust local fishery, and when
exhausted 1t is likely to me to become
valuable again. Line fishing, however ex-
| tensively prosecuted. will never materially
| affect the supply of fish in the sea; for by
| q singular instinct q fish when engaged in
| In the function reproduction, will not take
the hook. By means of pounds and nets
and traps these fish are caught before they
spawn, and is precisely equivalent to kill
| ing of all the mature hens in a farm-yard
before they have laid their eggs, and then
expecting to have the stock continued in.
definitely.
In regard to stopping this alarming de-
crease, Mr.. Baird says there are no means
known for destroying the blue fish, nor
would such be desirable, seeing that they
are one Of the most valuable species for
food. The only alternative. therefore, is
to regulate the actions of pounds, traps,
etc, so as to prevent the destruction Of The
fish during the spawning season. The abb
solute abolition of traps and pounds would
be too severe . measure, and, in Mr..
Barrd's opinion. their proper regulation
will answer the purpose of restoring the
fish supply, although great many years
will be required. Such regulation should
consist either in prohibiting the use OF
traps or pounds during the entire season
of the spawning of the ash, or for q certain
number Of days in each week during that
season. As the principal profit Of the
pounds is derived from the catch of fish
during the spawning season, it would prob
ably be sufficient to try the experiment
Of prohibition Of the use Of nets from Fri
day night until Monday morning Of the
spawning season, and after that it Is
thought that no restriction need be impos-
ed. Mr. Baird, further suggests that the
regulation for . close time during each
States, and il this cannot be effected, then
the General Government should enact 49,
solute prohibition, or at least during the
|, spawning season. Prog. Age.