Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-27

rRrpAY svENrac, JUNE a7. lse4.
The Fish Laws.

luo EBu bhWss
There have been some good men lately
put on the fish commission by the gov.
ernor, and we have fair hope that this
body will at length prove itself TO he Of
service 10 the state, which 1t has not as
yet been, 10 far as we are able to see.
The purpose In creating the commission
was to increase the supply of food fishes
In our rivers, and that purpose certainly
has not been accomplished. We have
fewer flsh in our rivers now than ever
before. The run OF shad, our finest food
fish, Is yearly becoming less. In the Sus
quehanna the black bass has appeared
and the shad has disappeared. The pass
Is Of little value as food fish, the pro-
duct being inconsiderable and its
chief benefit being to the few patient an
glers who delight to sit all day long on
the water in boats and on rocks, and
feel themselves rewarded with an occa
sional nibble and few pounds OF fish.
The bass, for which we have the
flsh commission TO thank, may not
be the cause OF the small runs Of
shad, though most people think that
they have had great deal to do
with II in destroying the young shad
seeking their way seaward. But IL the
bass are not TO be blamed for the lament.
able failure In the sbad supply, the fish
baskets certainly are. The law forbids
these, aud has forbid them for years !;
and yet there are more Of them placed in
the Susquehanna than ever. Every
autumn they are found full of dead
young shad, which are thrown out Of
them by millions daily. There is but one
opinion as to the public loss suffered by
tho placing of these baskets in the river
in the lavish and indiscriminate way in
which they are planted. In some places
they extend in series all the way across
the river so as to effectually the pas
sage of the fish, aud the stats are placed
SO close together, in order to retain some
species Of the eel and other fish, that
the young shad are also retained &; and
even though the Stats were wide enough
to let them through, II is probable that
they would be bruised to death in the
passage, so delicate are they.
The fish commissioners certainly
should see to it that the law forbidding
the fish baskets is obeyed. They know
very well that ID is not. They know
that the proposed visits Of the officers Of
the law are communicated to the owners
Of the baskets, before they take place,
and that when they pass down the river
the baskets are dropped before them, to
be raised again when their backs are
turned. They are so built that this can
be readily done.
The defense urged for these fish trap
is that the Pennsylvania law can hav,
no effect in keeping up the shad supply
in the Susquehanna, so long as Maryland
permits the river to be obstructed with
traps below the state line. Doubtless
there is something in this argument, but
yet 1t does not excuse the violation o
Pennsylvania's law by Pennsylvania
fishermen. 1t may be a reason against
the law, but certainly none against it:
execution. The fish commission should
see to 1t that the law is observed, and al
the same time go to the state of Mary
land with an appeal for its help in the
effort to preserve the sbad supply. The
other rivers Of the state need the iHtelli
gent and active care Of the fish commits
sion as we'll as the Susquehanna. Iu all
of them the fish are decreasing. It is
just reported that they are found in great
quantities floating dead on the surface
of the Youghiogheny, and the cause as
signed is the pumping into the river of
the sulphurous water Of the mines.
To the new members OF the commis
sion we hopefully look for an improve.
ment In its usefulness. We know that
If the commission is animated by the
spirit and counsel of Augustus Duncan
and Andrew NJ. Spangler the result tc
our fish supply will be apparent.