New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-20
PROTECTION OF FOOD FISHES
A TALK WITH EUGENE G. BLACKBOARD
HE FAyoRs THE PROHIBITION OF MENHADEN FISH
ING IN THE SPAWNING SEASON

Committee Foreign Relations cOnslsiihS VI 0''"''
Lapham. Edmunds, Miller, Window and Morgan III
conjunction with the Commission OF Fish ard Fisheries
began an investigation of the subject prior 10 recon-
mendng such protective laws. Up to the present tlhIe'
the menhaden fishermen have manifested more interest
I'm the subject than the food isIcrmen and the apa o
the latter has been severely criticised oy those Tp
in seeing Justice done to both parties Recently lB
UNE reporter saw Eugene g. BacktOri State f ~
Commissioner. who was called upon TO testIy ncIqI IN
sub committee. You will remember sald Nir. b"ch
ford THAT time the New-Jersey , u
men from coming within three miles OF the SNORT W So
the United States Fish Commission, ana II was Ioiu
that the question at issue was outside me i'1 VI 80,
legislation. Then the parties Interested III pt,nS
bill I'm Congress. The bill was referred 10 tne Ood, ,i
tee Foreign Relations That conmltte9 MIA
St ra ~ Bov Atlantic CITY and mt the Brighton
Motel Concy ISLAND They also had sitting at Wash
ington week and took testimony from y large nun
OF interested persons among others IT, brown "ooue
OF the United states Fish Commission ., ,,,,s
what mas been the result OF the investigation thus
aIp 10 the present time. the weight OF evidence has
come from the mcnhadcn interests, Ana although tue
food fishermen have known about this nyesugaiioh le"
of them have taken the pains to appear before the co
ulittee to sub,tantiate their claims; ~
" What your views on this subject 80, .,. 4,
What believe be for the interest OF ooth parties i
legislation which SHALL restrict fishermen IRON tahihs
menhaden during the spawning season. Ihe meniauJn
are the food OF large number Of food fishes especl-
ally the burAsh and the striped bass. Ana whch tto
mcnhadcn are driven off the coast from Maine 10
Chesapeake Bay oIlog that IN course OF time
there will be n great lack OF food fish In these waters
" Has the market OF fine food hshes Deeh seIIous9
affected yet by the large catches OF menhaden
ION. no that is not So Nor Is the industry Wnicn
supports thousands of poor men along our coast ue-
stroyed as has been alleged
How about bucfsh : "
"They caught all along the coast While they may
not he rs plentiful localities as in past years
there has been marked dmnutlOn IN the quantity Vi
What IS the size Of the menhaden fishing feet ooo
There are about eighty steam vessels ana he' t oV
sailing vessels engaged in that business Ana III ISL tncy
caught lj1,O0O 900 of menhaden. And YET the MeA-
hadeu fishermen say that there are plenty Ieit ID sup
port of that assertion they aege that t1ey "a" oio
school Of menhaden last summer that contained NOR
than have been caught In the last ten years ul thc
catching Of great numh er al these ilSl must nave
tendency 10 dnnS the number OF food fish. The most
noticeable diminuton in any particular variety j. III to
striped bass, which IN - was scarcer thah ~ any
yOus year don't take radical ground elmer lOi ,n
meuhadcn or The food fishermen II j. question: wa,
requires very careful nNeStl|alloh. IN te 0n1 1oa
business, for instance. there r. invested over - VVVVG
and the men interest urItoiS ar. Dterest
hearing. stu have noticed that the n'naen 100
growing and expanding one that tne hummer ".
the coast from Maine to North Carolina was lsi, per
si~tcnty from the time the mcnhddcu naue lu,lr HP
pearuncc until the cold wcathcr~et and that every year
tIo-e fishes which feed upon mcnhadel gro" mort In
I'm my opinion the great amount or hThhg lnh' -
schools Of FISH which are followed h the striped gas 1
buchsl, and That DO Ia, tIndgncl 10 A"Gs IaTlt f
the striped bass, which feeds to great extent On men
g rpon villa, do the meuhadcn feed 2"
"Thcy live Tor the most part ON jelly fishes go
When is the spawning season oi tlr inrhnhH'n ,o,
April and Nav l. Thciudicauou- that 'he spawning
season j, some" her, Do, tween NIlU ana Juf d. ,h
u.rhld,n interest. would bc ~ prohibit the taking oI
tl,r n "a during that time or the men engaged III that
f &c., ,'.,l, ,,.,,, itya talked over This matter.
there D. one plTlcrIriv Mr. Green. VINO u>cu 10 ""
"A large number of factories near Montauk. the east
end oi Long Island Mr. Green le aI ntcllSrHt man any
speak OF would Doe The best thing not only orithe general
n,hinc Interest, Of The coast bu also Tor the menhadcn
industry. This restriction would give he u'n 'n ',rl
waste caused 6y tis everlasting during the la.t few
years believe. however that tine comu.ltr ln,Il 30
summon % appear before them experts iu fish culture 10
ascertain what time the food i.hr' Of ine SEA come uVh
Ing these questions that the fishermen whenever hey
have poor season jump al tHe c.n,.u'''a 'I"s f
10 is pound fishing and at another u is the menha"eh
vI nni -lb.tantatc by evidence these claims they
conspicuous 10y their absence
Al EXPsErs OPINION
Tho SECRETARY Of the Fsh-t cultural Association was
summoned 10 appear before The subcommittee recently
On HE return 10 Ncw-Yort DE- was seen by TRIBUNE
reporter 70 whom be related ori,y the imony which
De- gave fore the Subcommittee. lie said: The Dill
introduced MO Congress bad for rs object the proven
ton shiuc Tor mcnhltcu The New Jersey coasts
the al erd reason Tor ibis being th. the meuhaien are
the food ef the bc ASH striped bass and w,ahhsn 1t
is not Thought shat tho msrsrc feed very largely on
menhldeu Nov II the ueuhadrn had al been taken up
along our coast aud they the food OF bass and
blue fish, 10 world Dee reasonable 10 suppose that We
would not be hud any hsl ot these varieties this
year I'm not prepared that buedsh were less
abundant in le,2 than in l-si The reason why Usher
men complain much OF Tho scarcity Of fish IN this To-
cality because they ignorant of what their own
| surroundings are .,
has tuere been any diminuuon In the number Of edit
! BILE t,h 70
ever am told that during the last season more striped
bl-. were seen of Mo tauk Point than ever before.
nav me- o,rcr OF FOOD TO our edible 1sn the Absence OF
FL q pt hi
capf i'm our itniu, date ueghuorhood. The absence OF
| tnrnbaden on the coust ~ Maiue very marked In
/ former years millions OF them were caught on thnt
co'st. aud now the catch T. almost nothng-uo more
IMAM thou-and on the coasts OF NewJersey and Long
Island me uhndeu comparatively scarce last year
,t,I midsummer and the cntc had the Appearance OF
bcng failure Later however very large quantities
were caught. These very TAT and produced 80
much oil that the Oleaguous products were perhaps as
lprne as those Of the previous season. agree wb Mr.
Rarkford the Fish Commissioner. In thinking II aoVl-
sable to prevent meuhaden fishing from beginning so
probably occurs I'm the spring. As menhaden, unlike
many other FISH, not n thrr fatest condition during
the spawning season, II would be more prontaDle 10
catch them later aud IL would also give the nsh au OPP
| portuuty of reproducing My opinion IL that II woud
be advantageous 10 the sheimeu ana 10 tue nan Also II
suitable laws were enacted TO prevent the catching OF
ocnhadeu before june 10 In regard 10 hsh oeiug In
abundance In great scarcity let me say that tue
| reasons Tor these phenomena are not very weEkuOwn
Professor g. Brown GOOde, United states Fish Commits
soner who studied the subject very carefully, assigns
OIL The coast Maine the fact tRAt during lSS2 the tenn
.rtr of the Water along the coast was very low Tue
lowering OF the temperature OF the water would uar
ally mako difference and do great deal TO prevent
the nenhadcn from schooling IN those waters Although
land waters II would be unwise Opresage thAt ey VII
be 1883. u ia not Improbable that In few
years there will Ice many meHhaden along the coast Of
| Maine as there have ever been"
OBITUARY.