Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-03-06
The Potomac Fisheries.

TO tie editors of the Richmond State:
The statistics you have given showing the
alarming decrease 10 the value Of tho Potomac
fisheries since the war presages the speedy dc.
struc!ion of these important industries.
A reduction of throc hundred thousand dol.
lars In the value of the annual products of a
single river is surely matter to awaken grave
attention and inquiry. 1t would be bad enough
if this decrease was confined to tho Potomac,
but all the rivers of tho State which drain into
| the Atlantic show an equal if not greater ratio
OF depletion 1t is safe to say that the auoua
lose 10 production from the decrease in our
| shsd and herring fisheries is little short Of ooe
million dollars.
If this wero inevitable disaster. wrought
| by the Dect ssary demands Of civilization,
| then We might told our hands 10 Christian
| resignation, or find compensation By turning
into other channels OF production the labor,
| the energy, the enterprise, the clpltal that
| have found occupation 10 our fisheries. But
tho disaster is OF our devising. Wanton greed
| and uurcas0nipg ignorance have wrought it.
The sea is rs buuntiful rs ever, but rs we'll
might the farmer expect to gather abundant
hsrvests from unsown aud untitled fields as the
where bis own work has rendered abortive pa
crease. The necessary condition for the main
teuance of our shad and herrDgs is that these
fish shall enter cur rivers and spawn 10 sufh.
ccnt numbers to repair tho waste by capture
and by natural casualties. This is impossible
with present methods of fishing.
Whilst other conditions may concur to pro
mote speedy restoration, an efficient closed sea
son is the condition precedent, without which
all other meaus will fail The capture of sbsd
aud herring should not DO permitted before the
18th OF March. The open season should ter
inmate not later than the lst of June, apd ir
each week during the season OF fishing, from
Saturday evening at sunset to sunrise Tuesday
morning, every net or other appliance for the
capture of Ash should be removed from all our
waters. Nothing short OF this general probibi
ioo. without respect to the kinds Of nets, will
be sufficient.
To point the argument snd enforce tho neces.
sity for closed season, l present hero some
fngther data, taken from the report to the
United States Commissioner of Fisheries. show.
ing the disastrous reactive Influences exerted
By the falling off of the Potomac fisheries upon
other Interests and industries.
Formerly there were one hundred and fifty
four seines in operation on the Potomac and the
rental value of the shores amounted to S:3. 0O0
per annum. In 1873 the total number OF selnes
in operation was twenty eight. and the rental
value Of the shores amounted to SIG. coo. being
reduction in the rental value Of the river plan
tations amounting to ST., 900 per annum. This
capitalized, amounts to about ST., COT. 0O0 and Is
the depreciation in the value Of the river estates
consequent upon the loss of the fisheries. Inc
loss to the revenues of the state from this de-
probation is about five thousand dollars per
annum.
Formerly f6, COO fsthoms of seine and 1885,.
GOO fsthoms of rope were used in the Potomac
fisheries. To-day IA 900 fsthoms Of seine and
1000 iathoms of rope are more than sufficient
for the wants of the river. Formerly $500 men
found employment IN these fsheries;, to-day
hardly one thousand. Formerly two hundred
and seventy i We vessels were employed in car.
rying Oh the Potomac fisheries now forty-:wo
suffice.
With the fsiling of the fisheries have languish.
ed all those auxiliary industries employed in
the packing, the transportation. and the mar.
keting of the products of these fisheries 30 that
tho damage to individuals to communities, and
to the State is but insdequately expressed by
the figures giving the annual loss to production.
M MCDONALD.