Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-29
The Menhaden Fishery.
Mt. Vernon.

to his defense. Now, probably an article has
never appeared on this subject, to which the
writer was ASHAMED to add his name"
though, possibly, he may not have felt such
strong desire to have his name appear in
flaming capitals as our young enthusiast from
the South.
| now offer the following. as the state
ment of one who has had longer and more
thorough experience in both shore and seine
fishing, than our young friend who so earnest
ly espOuses the cause of the "poor fishermen
deprived of rights" and will endeavor to
present nothing but facts
Mr.. Poole states that thousands of fisher
men are deprived of their rights by the purse
menhaden fishery. ! deny that line fisher
man is deprived of single right by this bus
mess. The shore fishermen catch plenty Of
cod and hake and if they could get fair
price for them, could do a good business but
hake were caught in large quantities this last
season, and thrown overheard, after taking
out their sounds, as it would not pay to take
them on shore, salt and cure them. Cod
would bring only one half cent per pound.
As to the menhaden, a purse fisherman has
the same right to take them that net fisher
man has, no more, no less. There may have
been some taken in seines that might have
been taken in nets, had no seines been used /;
but there is no rivalry between the seiners
and net fshermen,-for when menhaden are
present on the coast, they both catch them
without apparently interfering with each 9TH
err. Now If 1000 barrels of these fish are
sufficient as bait for the shore fishermen, are
we to let the millions of barrels that visit our
coast annually go unmolested? Would it not
be better policy to convert what we can into
thousands of dollars, and thereby increase the
wealth and prosperity of our State, than to
leave them as food for sharks, whales, and
other enemies of the deem?
wish to hold Mr.. Pool to his reasoning.
He asserts that fish are scarce because seins
are used. Now like causes would produce
like results; and if seins drove the fish off
the coast from Wood Island to the Penobscot
they would also drive them off the coast be-
tween the Penobscot and Machiss.
The facts in the case are as follows Last
season the menhaden visited our coast, and
located on their old ground between Monhe-
gan and Matinicus, and up to July 1873, the
prospect looked favorable for plenty of Men,
baden for all. About this time, the barracu-
das appeared among them, and the menhaden
fed east, located between the PenObscot and
Machias. The seiners and net fishermen
worked on them two and one half months and
the fish did not appear frightened. 1t is a
mistake that purse seins always drive fish ;
for it is well-known fact that purse gang
| will set several times at the same school, and
WneH tney uouke tneIil, inc nsn Will rise Will
| in hundred feet of the seine, before it is
even taken from the water, and appear as un-
concerned as IL they had never been surround
| ed with twine.
Compared with gill nets, the seine fishing
is certainly more humane,--which fact alone
should have some bearing with one whose
| heart is so filled with sympathy, as that of
our South Bristol amanuensis. 1t cannot be
comfortable situation, for menhaden to be
| pinned in his eement,-his head one side of
the net, and his body on the other, with a
| fine piece Of twine in his gills, torturing him
| to slow death; and if dog-fsh or any other
| enemy undertake to eat him, he has no means
| of defense, but is held in the place and de-
voured alive.
Does Mr., Poole know that the net fisher
men in Frenchman's and Blue Hill bay took
more fish this last season, than they have be-
fore in one season for eight years, and Is he
aware that they and the seiners fshed from
the same body Of fish? Now if seining drove
the menhaden from his vicinity, why did it not
drive them also from that locality?
| Mr.. Poole bravely asserts that menhaden
are scarce. We assert to the contrary and
give statistics to prove the same.
| In 1873, there were 533 purse fshermcn en-
| ployed, and they caught on our coast 429, Alb
barrels of fish.
| In 1874, there were sci fishermen employed
and they caught 62l, 1851 barrels.
In 1875, there were III fishermen employed
and they took 635, III barrels.
In 1876, there were 1853 fishermen employed
and they caught 709 900 barrels.
| In 1877, there were 727 fishermen employed
and they caught 557, l45 barrels.
In 1873, there were 682 fishermen employed
and they caught 6l6,S5l barrels.
In 1877, the fish were in the rivers and bays,
and seines were badly torn in consequence,
which reduced the catch below what it would
have been, providing the Ash had been of
shore, as they were from 1870 to 1876. The
catch of 1873 would have been the largest
ever known; but the fish were so far off that
it took great part of the time to go to and
from the fishing ground. Formerly, the
steamers would leave the harbor at A. NJ,
ground; but this last year it took some of the
steamers twenty hours to run from the
factory to the fishing ground.
Mr.. Poole also asserts that seiners did not
share over 800 to man, and this statement
we will endeavor TO correct. We admit that
one or two gangs, that started out late in the
season from his place, were not very success
full, consequently. their shares were small
He does not mention, however, that the crew
Of steamer "E. T. De Blois," "from his vicin-
ity," shared $500 to a man, clear of board
and all expenses, and upon investigation, he
will learn that others did nearly as well. !
will also inform him that his figures do not
apply to this part Of the town; for we find the
steamer Jemima Boomer with crew Of Maine
men except one, shared over $3.50 to a man,
clear of expenses. The steamer "Seven
Brothers." the smallest of the feet, with en-
tire Maine crew, shared $500 to a man, clear
of expenses; steamer L. Brightman shared
S404 to man, and the smallest share on any
steamer from this place was Sl93.
Lastly, will Mr. Poole inform us why the
waters from New Bedford to Point Judith,
with forty years of purse seine fishing, il
good fishing ground yet, and has he heard
that this last years fishing at Sandy Hook
and Long Island Sound was the best ever
known. M EMEs ft 81
J now leave the subject, trusting that our
legislators are too just to attempt to cripple
what is certainly one of the greatest indus.
tries of the State of Maine. 7't
w. c. THOMPSON.
Round Pond, Me-, Jan. 27, 1879.
In spite Of hannels, coughs and colds will