Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-06
CHINESE AND FOOD FISHES.

The Fish Commissioners have been Civ
ing the anti-Chinese sentiment and agita-
ton some aid. They show that the Chi
nese in California annually ship away
from US over 100000 worth of dried
fish, from which we do not receive 4 cent
nor any benefit There are three ship
mcnts to China every month. Each one
Is valued at $4,000, and thus the thirty
SIX shipments aggregate $S,132,000. The
arithmetic of this c..tsa IS siaspie. The
Chinese sweep our waters for small fry,
shrimps, etc. They send 10y each ship
ment to China $50 tons of shrimps, at $500
per ton, aggregating $4,000; of sardines,
small salmon and the small fry of other
fish, 200 tons, at S2oO aggregating S40,-
coo; Of shrimp shells and fish manure, 80
tons, al $40, aggregating $1,000 sum
total Of $S7, 900 three times month.
These expectations in no wise benefit Cali
fornia or augment her commercial I'M
portance. But they do injure the fish
waters of the State, deplete the bays and
rivers Of some Of their best stocks. and. Iy
the indiscriminate gathering of small fry.
render it very difficult to keep up the
seek. SO that, in fact, we are put to
actual cost in restocking our waters, rem
dered necessary by the Chinese export.
The Fish Commissioners Board is power
less to prevent the Chinese from robbing
the fishing grounds. The Board has been
criticised sharply for not checking the
evil, but it IS beyond its ability to do So
The Commission has appealed to Congress
foE law that will enable the Board
to close out the demoralizing business
demoralizing TO fishing interests and to the
funds available for restocking the waters.
The Chinese are FISH vandals, if the phrase
may be applied. To their nets all is fish
that comes, and all is utilized that is
taken The fact is that in sweeping the
bays and rivers for small fry the Cinnamon
render abortiye large part of the labors
of our Commissioners. Fish food is not so
plentiful in California as It was three wears
ago, despite the fact that shad have come
or, aud that the Commission has been rs
energetic as it could be in stocking and in
guarding. Congressman Morrow writes to |
the Board that the delegation is in SYM
pathy with the protest of the Commission,
and all will be done that can be to secure |
from Congress a mandate against the de- |
struction of the small fry and the gather
ing of shrimps and food fishes for other
than food purposes; but they find it very
difficult 10 convince the people at the |
East, and their representatives, that the
Chinaman is not the most desirable of res |
idents, and that his fish industries are not
OF the most beneficial character. In the |
calculation made we have taken no ac- |
count OF the small fry consumed by the |
Chinese here. Samples of these can be
seen in any Chinese quarter, and examine
ton will show that it takes from twenty
i've to Fifty Of this kind of fish to make A
single pound. Our coast exceeds in length
all the New England coast, its inland |
waters are of greater area, its
fish interests, outside of bank fish
ing, ought to be as great in
volume Of the catch, and will be, in time,
and when market develops But they
never will augment on the contrary, they |
will continue to decline so long as Chinese |
line nets take in the mere spawn. There is |
neglect OF fish interests on our own behalf; |
o.-isls and diversions in our rivers are driy- |
ing off the salmon and utterly running the |
spawning beds; Sheriiis are not vigilant,
ard District Attorneys are derelict of duty |
IN enforcing the laws for the protection of |
hsh waters and SO the food supply de- |
elines. Wrought to have such plentiful |
supply Of cheap food from our waters that |
1t would ne impossible for any one to saw |
he could not procure food Our waters. |
properly conserved as to pisciculture.
would furnish food enough to support
millions of people, and this could be
brought about inside of ten years But we
are doing precisely the other thing, and
rendering cheap fish food an unknown
quantity. With Commission limited TO
u paltry sum Cor expenditure, and crippled
for want Of ample authority, Congress care
less as to the vandalism" of the Chinese
and our county officers negligent of duty
imposed, and specially so, by the State
laws, fish interests are in pitiaoIe condi- |
tion.