The Wilmingtonian., 1885-06-13
THE FISHERIES QUESTION.

The claim of the Inhabitants of any par
ticular seashore or littoral to a prescriptive
fisheries right in those waters to the exclu-
sion Of others appears to be more widely
conceded rule than at first supposed
The Chamber of Commerce of Halifax,
Nova Scotia, having asccrtaiucd tic fact
that the enterprising fishermen of the Uni
ted States were, through the industrious
pursuit of their calling, in the bays and har-
bors of the Dominion "taking the bread
from the mouths of our people, has petit
toned the local government to bring the
matter to the notice of the Dominion Gov
ernment, and has requested them to call
upon the Admiral to employ the ships Of the
British navy stationed there in efficiently
protecting the Canadian fisheries.
This looks somewhat harsh sentiment to
proceed from our usually neishbor.like
friends the Canadians. Tie supposition is
that matters have gone very far to call for
all interference by armed war-ships. But
recent news from Europe states that some
English fishing smacks while plying their
business on the German coast of the North
Sea were chased bya German mau-of-war,
and one vessel captured, This was done on
the plea that the English were fishing in
German waters, or where it WAS prohibited,
by prescriptvc right to all but Germans.
Our own little tempest in teapot " it'll
the Jersey fishermen will bring these facts
before us with additional interest.
AT first sight it would appear strange that
people of the same nationality should make
discriminating laws against one another and
that in a general sense, the right for fisher
men to pursue their calling upon the salt
water unhiudered or hampered by any local
laws, ought to be the unquestioned national
custom. But in maritime countries such a
very large percentage of the inhabitants
make fishing the means by which life is
sustained, in fact the staple of existence,
that enactnents restraining others from
equal privileges are found necessary This
is the reason for the little heated talk in th'
, Chamber of Commerce at Halifax, N. S.
upon American intrusion in Canadian wa
ters. The fisheries is almost the sole indus
try of the inhabitants, and the inoursion o
large fleets of Americans from Maine an,
Massachusetts, every season with their supe
| rior fishing apparatus is fast depicting, no
alone the waters as fishing grounds, but ais
$ it appears their capability of reproduc
tion.
The writer remembers, while In Englan
softIeyears ago, witucsslngtSs p,o.t exe,tin
/ race between an English revenue cutter an
a small French fishing steamship. The la
d ter had stolen into the midst Of fleet {
oyster luggers which were at work dredt
ing.
h Notwithstanding the noisy threats an
Impressions of the local fishermen ST
threw out her apparatus aud went vigorous
Il ly to work. With her superior capabiiti,
over the sailing vessels, in a few hours 81
! had gathered good haul. But the loo
he revenue cutter suddenly appeared upon Il
he scene. The Frenchman hauled in his DIRE
n ses and tongs in double quick time al
'. having steam on paid no attention to Il
revenue cutters signal to haul to, but rae,
away at top speed The revenue boat, as
usual in English ports was not steam
ri but simply fore-and-aft rugged ouc-mast
dis cutter, built however on the best yacht
lines, set all her sails, and with Il spank
nm stern wind gave chase to the FrenC
IN. man.
At first ii appeared as ii the cutter We
gaining on her prey. Every stitch of S
de bellied out as she fairly flew along, t
am white seas dashing over her bow ncessal
ell ly. 1t was fine sight to crowds who sto
st, along the wharf of the little fishing TOW
ses Once or twice flash and a little puff
an smoke issued from the small brass cam
at the bows of the cutter. But the Frer
steamer now had full steam on and
throbbing of her engines was waited to
tno shore.
ery Suddenly the wind shifted. The cut
but was losing way. In few minutes those
GUS shore had the disappointment Of seeing
'De changing her course and a glanca
~ the foreigner discerned her dcrisively
ped ping the French Jack" as complim
nth to her unsuccessful pursuor. She got a'
see, safely with her cargo of oysters, and I
i'ou was the last seen of her in those
,;,b ters.
MD, The inhabitants of the Isle Of Man, in
to Irish Sea, largely support themselves
lty' fishing Sometimes they find it of adv
',9' age to fish eff the Irish coast. They j
ia repeatedly to be warned of from fishing
| it close in shore. The same with the Cor
ling fishing smacks. In fact in all parts of
TN British Isles the title of the local fish /
lt"' to a vested prcscriptive rights in their
.nd bays and hsrbors, is always CONC,
,,o,t ibnuTl the different fleets of fishing SIN