The Penn's Grove record., 1888-03-10

The West bill in the Legislature to
prohibit the usf Of seine nets smaller
than n 4 inch fnesiI IN the Delaware
has provoked much discussion AZ the
plea for its passage is that the small
mesh nets destroy thousands of young
shad which are caught aud sold for her
ring. With n desire to see fair play
for all and know tine truth Of this
question we addressed a letter to the
u. 5. Fish Commission containing our
views OH the matter MS follows: That
rock fish inhabit the Delaware river be-
cause they are caught at all seasons
and all sizes. Shad do not inhablt
these waters because not caught at
all seasons aud all sizes but come in the
fresh waters to spawn only and leave
us soon as they do il. Slad do not
spawn until the water is warm enough
about the middle of May, consequent
ly the sliad spawned are not large
enough 10 be caught he same season
as fishing stops by the middle OF June.
As shad all sizes are not seen IN the
Delaware and as Seth Green in March
number of the American Agriculturist
says il takes three years for silad to
ItttI mat u itN II toito" th"'' N"'
young slad must leave the fresh wa
ter the same summer IS spawned and
do not return to those waters until to
spawn. In reply to these views rs TO
whether correct | receive the follow
Ing.
Washington, ID. c., March :, -.
W. a. SummerIll,
DEAR SIR LII reply TO your
letter addressed To MIR. Seth Green OF
u. >. Fish COMMISSIONER, | beg to say
that what you state in regard to the
young sliad is true in general. They
do not usually appear i'll tue rivers AT
ter the first summer until they return
to spawn. III SEASONS, however, when
the river temperature continues low
during the fishing season oui obsefNa-
tions on the Potomac and susq,lelIaiina
indicate that u considerable humber
of Young shad do accompany the school
of old sliad to their spawning grounds.
THIS condition of affairs Is, however.
exceptional al,d only results when the
seasons are such rs | have Indicated.
The fish Matched in any river during
the season, aS you know, remain III
the fresh waters until the cooler wealth
Ell of the autumn induces them to mi
CRATE seward. They are then from
three TO TOUT inches in length, and l
do not think it probable that many OF
them can he taken in nets of the SIZE
of mesh ordinarily tisiied Oh the Della
ware and other rivers.
Very Truly Yours,
NJ. MCDONALD, Commissioner.
! am aware there are ma ny gall fish,
ermefi and Int few seIi.es, hut, never
theless, il minority should not he
CT usiied by i'm unjust hill III false iea-
SONS. The GluuceSt er county RIliers
clam they have moi All equal rigi" 10
fish because they cannot il,H,l 'lI'if i,et
in the eastern channel without, iieslii.s-
ing Oh the seine pools, for doing "iiIcl'
they are subject 10 fine and imprlson-
meut by Il law, older than gill fishing.
This is unjust to the giliers. The plea
for equal rights for the OILERS Is all
right but the law by which they now
try TO get them is unjust n based on
false reasons. If they want to gam
their equal right justly, let IA bill he
drawn 10 give the right for gill nets 10
float over the pools without line or
Imprisonment when it ca / not be avoid
cd, but to not unjustly or unnecessarily
~encroach on these pools. This wound
give equal rights and not effect the Sd
lem county seines us all gill nets seii-
orally float clear of the Salem county
pools, unless it might be Il sinai. net
thrown intentionally to float over Il
pool. Such IA law would stop the con-
tention and leave no reason for the
State to spend money uselessly in buy
ing the seine fisheries as some advocate.