Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-06-17
EVENING STAR
The Dssastrou. r,.h,,x sea,o,

The Disastrous Fishing Season
How TIE FISHING BUSINESS NAY RF
kksToRko TO ITS FoR&KR PROSPERITY.
Our Intelligent correspondent "Northern
Neck" whose contributions to THE STAR
are always read with so much Interes: senss
the following upon q subject OF great imp9rt-
ance 10 AL in this part OF the country:
KING GEORGE COUNTY. Va.
hdtto~ Star: The fishing season lust cl,,Sa4
n o. 1911 more disastrous TO the seine fisher.
~ en- imam last years, and a repetition OF the
same III luck another year will Sween tba
long slnes out OF the river. II is TO De re-
sreIt.a that so Important an industry should
be Frustrated by too eager pursuit but IL IS
not the first time the goose has been killed 4,
Too great greediness after the golden eggs
To say that the river is overdShet hsr,lly
expresses the truth; AZ is understocEaS
Nature only repleuishes her own waste ana
When man draws upon her treasures he
must deposit IN return or have his drafts
10 retdrn TO the soil literally for his taktncs
from IL or soon TO have only barren acres
ard the fishermen will in time learn that II
they constantly ply their calling Without
dTtaacidly Increasing the supply OF ish they
viii land only empty se'ues. This artificial
propagation has been so long practised that
Its results can be as confidently counted ON
as the planting OF corn or cotton, and a Few
Thousands dollars In the hands OF a man
skilled In the business would soon supply
every reasonable demand.
But DO amount OF expenditure can make
an abundant supply OF fish In the river until
the method of Ia king them in the lower fish
ing grou&Ss is entirely changed. AS far as
the taking OF fish and the destruction OF
spawn is concerned the fish propag gator can
easily more than restore the loss, but he eau
rot bring them back TO the fishing grounds
when grown while the lower river is totally
INSTRUCTED 10y nets drawn from shore To shore.
In NaDjemoy reach, where the river com
raratively nSrrow and where fish strike the
hrst fresh water, during the last season there
were al least twenty nets. completely Closing
the chanrel, and on shore were any number
OF pounds" and IL is q mystery how any
nsh got above them. That these obStruc-
lions turned back-not cRught-the Ash is
evident from the fact that at night when
Inc OILERS were ashore with their nets, the
'baul' OF the SeineS above the reach was
generally good, while the fday haul, !" when
the OILERS were back in their berths was not
worth making; and after the lower OILERS
had "cut out" the latter were found an I'M
OOStructed way 10 the upper fisheries aud
very materially assisted those who had not
cut out In retrieving their losses. say
turned back" which is the fact. A few OF
the leaders of school are caught aud the
main body frightened back and deposit their
spawn in the lower river, where IL is mostly
destroyed 10y salt water depredators. II
was taiS obstructing the river that pro-
duced the lste "cruel war; on the PO-
tomac, and the same cauSe Will be liable
every season to lead TO the same result.
Some one suggests not TO fish for one or m ore
years; but what would De the use OF that II
The increase are To be shut out of the ri yer
An appeal TO the legislatures OF Virgi MIA and
: a.
tecause there are ten OILERS votes to one
seine propTietors, and the votes are what
counts. In Virginia we have a soil and eli
male admirably adapted To the culture OF
sheep: but the countless thousands of WORTH
less cogs prevents the planters from going
into the business, and as long as every mis-
cradle cur in the state is bac Sed up by a vote
while the largest flock OF sheep has olly the
same, of course the dog will triumph. 1t
would be or incalculable benefit TO the plant
ers and TO the finances of the state-fhe ex-
tensive devotion TO this industry-but the
politician can only see the dog and his vote
But happily the proper remedy for tha fish
| cries lies In Congress, not by direct Iegisla-
tion In favor OF fish protection, but in the In
| terest OF commerce. In the height Of the
EeasOn the OILERS so obstruct the river that
| II is navigatei with great difficulty. TGis is
| the universal testimony of the river
men, and IL is a nuisance that, ish or
no fish, must be abated. Now. IL Con-
| gress directs the proper department TO
marx out channel as FAR down the river rs
| is necessary as wide as may be required by
| vessels proceeding against the wind--say
one half mile wide from GlymOnt down.
and so buOyed aud staked that Its location
| can be readily and unmistakaOly known,
| aud inside OF which no net shall be perm tied
! 10 drift or be staked ont, under heavy penal
ties, all the protection would be given which
| the case REQUIRES. This gives no preference
| TO seines or OILERS, but keeps the river open
| Tor commerce primarily and the upward pas.
| sage of fish incidentally, and If after this
| legislation is secured, little money i,
placed at the disposal Of an honest and c3pa-
| bic man for propa eating "food fishes, J" every
| desirable result viii be readily obtained. Ia
| the Hudson river this system prevails 70 the
| entire satisfaction OF the boatmen, who have
| sn unobStructed charnel, and the fishermen
| who have each fai- chance at the fish. and
| a little effort on the part Of those most I'm.
terested in placing the matter before Con-
| greSs would doubtless secure its adoption
| here. NORTHERN NECH.