The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-09
For shs Farmer AMI MeohAE &c.
How to Increase the Catch.


Under the above title, Mr.. :. G.
" orth, Supt. Fisheries OF North Caro-
Ina, has address ed pamphlet 10 most
81 the fishermen n my section Il sup
pose TO all. The pamphlet is an inter-
esung account of the manner of taking
spawn and propagaung shad. II shows
that the process has been brought 10
perfection.
Our superintendent has predxed a
circular TO the directions OF the United
States Commissioner, in which he offers
fifteen dollars million for impregnated
shad eC.s-they 10 be delivered at
points adjacent 10 New bern, Edentou
and Wilmington.
i this plan Of obtaining eggs feasi Bile ?
And VIII i pay parties 10 engage in ii:
some authorities put down the num-
Der Of spawn from one shad rs high as
~. 600. and even more. suppose We
make an average OF 20. 600, and this i
a large average. We will see that fifty
,had must be stripped to obtain a mil
hon eggs. These stripped spawners are
then worthless as roe shad. and If ship
ped IN nee will sell low for bucks-not
brlnginS sometimes as much "a a buck
>hEsd. Ny experience has been that
there IS generally difference OF twenty
cents in the price of a roe shad and the
price of buck shad. A loss Of twenty
cents each on fifty sliad will be ten dol
lars. To lmpregnate the ova from these
fifty spauners at least twenty bucks
viii be used, and they are reduced in
price from five 10 ten cents. Putting
the loss at seven cents. We will have
one dollar and forty cents. This. cdded
to the loss on the roe shad, will amount
to eleven dollars and forty cents-leav-
ing three dollars and sixty cents to the
fisherman who furnishes the million
eggs. No man of sense will attempt
such a scheme as saving a million shad
eggs. and getting for them three dollars
aud sixty cents. But the reply NAV be
that the Increase in the Catch OF
shad will be the profit, and the fisher
man would ultimately reap the benefit.
II this were so, then every man owning
seine would gladly give the ova. Is
it so?
Read the history Of the fishing by
seincs in Albemarle Sound, where al
this fish Matching has been carried on
IL in the number of shad caught by the
seines. Where is all the promised in
crease which has been looked for for
years? Has it come? ?
Fish Matching cannot increase the
catch. What will?
The greatest good to the greatest
number, | believe, is good stateman-
ship and certainly good philosophy.
/ The seines on the Albcmarle Sound
and its tributaries. pay annually for Ia
| Dor at least from $50, 900 to 800, 600
The supply OF fish for our home con.
sumption comes mainly from the seines
| Our people Tor years have looked for
ward with eagernCss Tor plenty o.
cheap fish. OF late years fish on The
beach have been higher than ever be.
tore-owing to the small catch Some.
thing then has damaged seine fishing
and under our present law it will take
not more than ten years to drive every
man owning a fishery from his beach
Where IS the fault? 1t is III the dutcl
net. The last half dozen years has wit.
messed tremendous increase in the
/ dutch net fishermen and Albemarlt
Sound is a complete net work of dutcl
net wings which form au almost ample
/ barricade. Three men and boat car
attend to a number of dutch nets.
What few shad would come up the
/ Sound are completely checked BY dutcl
net wings which are run from the shore
at right angles as far as possible-jus
out Of the way of boats. Abolish dutcl
nets and protect the legitimate fishing
interest and few years will witness
a greater supply of fish than could be
obtained by all the Matching in the
world.
The writer has fished a number O
4 years and is now running a fishery fol
! his last year No future legislation on
/ fish can affect him in any way. But he
\ does feel interested in the matter, and
dislikes to see the seine fishing in his
\ section most admirable iD the
world,uow worked to perfection with its
steam flats and steam engines give
\ way to a system OF catching fish which
requires neither capital or labor, and
does not benefit the citizen by adding a
cheaper luxury and necessity to his
4 table SEINES.