Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-28
CARING FOR THE FISH.
APPOINTING OFFICERS TO EN-
FORCE THE STATE LAW.

DR.. II. II. Cary, State Fish Commits
siOner, was in the city yesterday for the
purpose OF taking steps to enforce the
State fish law. Few people appreciate
the Importance Of the labors of the Fish
Commission. Although the rivers Of
Georgia have been stocked with some
thing over 100000 shad artificially
Matched and propagated, during the
past ten years, the interest taken by the
general public in the work Is compare
tiyeY small.
The Georgia Fish Commission was Gre
ated by an act of Legislature APP
proved Feb. %, 1876. The Com
missioner OF Agriculture was
made Fish Commissioner, and was au-
thOrized to employ a Superintendent OF
Fisheries. The amount appropriated to
establish and prosecute the work of the
commission was 5000. 1t is evident from
the size of the appropriation that the
Legislature had little or no idea of the
work OF the commission or the results
that would be obtained under its direc-
ton.
Dr.. Cary. who was the prime mover in
the matter, was appointed superintendent
of Fisheries, and entered upon his duties
W IVA vi al dIA-l lbLiC u uOl anu CAitl lie
began at once to secure the artificial pro-
pagation in the various rivers of the
principal migratory fish adapted TO the
waters and climate OF the State.
The law creating the commission pro-
yided that there shall be a "clOsed
time" in all the rivers in
which shad are caught Of two
days, Saturday and Sunday OF each week,
and every day from May 20 TO Jan. 20,
during which no fish can be caught, eX-
cept for spawning purposes. The law
also provided that no traps or nets shall
be left in the rivers during the "clOsed
time" There are three penalties for a
violation OF the law: Twelve months on
the chain-gang; imprisonment not TO ca
coed one year in the penitentiary and a
fine Of not less than 800 nor more than
$1,000. Through an oversight in framing
the law no provision was made for the
appointment OF officers to enforce it's pro-
visions. AT the last session of the Legis-
lature an act was passed authorizing the
appointment by the Commissioners, Of Fish
Wardens clothed with all the powers of
a sheriff to carry out the law The rivers
Of the state swarm with fishermen, many
OF whom are nOn-residents. They make
fishing their business without regard to
any law whatever. The savannah and
Ogeechee rivers are filled with nets. The
result will be that III few years, if the
law is not enforced. the streams will be
depOpulated.
There are no statistics to show how
many fish are taken out Of the Savannah
TO Northern markets yearly. At the Pa
latks fishery on the st. Johns river, sta
tlstics show that over $4,000 shad were
taken last year. DR.. Cary saws that the
number taken from the Savannah will
largely exceed the number taken from the
st. Johns. The appointment of fish war
dens Will check this 'poaching," which
in few years, if carried on at the pres
ent rate, will depOpulate the river alto
gether. Fish wardens will be appointed
especially for each county, but will have
jurisdiction any where in the state. Ii is
the purpose Of the commissioner TO rigid
~ enfore the law and Vi0lators will be
dealt with summarIly.
Il can't give you the exact figures, -
said DR.. Cary, "but something over 1,500,-
900 shad have been placed in the headQuar-
ters Of the Savannah since the commission
was established. We ought to he aOlc to
put in 100000 every year. The last put
in was three years ago when 10000 fry
were let loose at Augusta.
Every river IN Georgia has been stock
ed" continued DR.. Cary, land what we
want now Is a strict enforcement of the
fish law
Thirty-seven States and territories now
have fish commissions. A majority of
these have independent hatcharles. The
principal hatchery and propagatng sta
tion of the United States Fish Commits
sion, which acts I'm conjunction with the
state Commissions, and from which the
Georgia Commission obtains its supplies,
are at Washington.
with the increase of knowledge in re-
ri "a Ech 4 .
work of propagation" said the Doctor,
"haVe come improved appliances for the
collection of eggs and their development.
The old-fashioned Matching boxes have
given way TO the improved glass Jars
with constantly changing stream of
water and an escape vent through which
the dead eggs may be drawn on Then
there are the fishways, by means OF
which fish are enabled to go up over
rapids TO their natural spawning grounds
at the head of streams. OF the several in
yentions in this respect probably the most
effective have been by Col. Nc Donald, at
least, there are more OF his IN practical
use than OF any other style. OF the
Mcdonald hshways there are four IN the
OswegO river, which have proved thor
Oughly satisfactory; three small ones on
the Potomac, which were built in a very
cheap manner by the State of MARYLAND;
one on the RappahannOck, one on the
James. and number OF smaller ones in
the State OF Virginia; one on the Savan-
nah and one on the 5nladen river In North
Carolina.
Besides the work OF distribution in this
country all immense number OF fish mas
been sent abroad to France, Germany and
other European countries, and thus the
old world that first commenced the work
of lsh culture 100 years ago Is now being
surpassed in results by our own COM
mission, which has been in existence less
than ID years. AS If TO prove that there
Is nothing new under the sun il is found
that the artificial rearing offish was prac-
tlced by the Chinese ages ago. aud the
celestials have a considerable literature
upon this subject, but u IS certain that
intelligent investigation aud practical re-
suit In this direction were never so sys-
tematically attained as under the direc-
tion OF the United States Fish Commits
sion"
Nearly all the shad with which Georgia
rivers are stocked were taken from the
Potomac hatchery. 1t is well-knOwn
yet curious fact. said DR.. Cary, that the
shad on the South Atlantic coast will not
bite hook. One has never been known
20 have been caught with a line. and the
fishing Is done entirely with seines. Tue
Connecticut river shad, however. bite
very readily, A few years ago 100000
fry from the Connecticut hatchery were
placed in the CnattahoOchee river. In
three wears they developed, and true 10
the instincts OF their Connecticut progen-
itors, they bite NOraci0usly at the hook