The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-02-15

An interesting meeting Of the Senate
Committee on Game and Fisheries was
held in Trenton on Wednesday to heal
further arguments on the bill looking to q
harmonizing and unifying of the fisheries
laws of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware. Senator Everett presided and
Senators Roe and Smith were also present.
Fish Commissioner Ford. Of Pennsylvania,
continued his explanation Of last week,
relative to the reasons which gave rise to
this movement for unifying the fishing
laws of the three States. One reason was
that our waters ought to be specially pro-
tected at this time, owing to the efforts
making for the stocking of those waters
with valuable fish. He read from the
Philadelphia Ledger the recently published
report of the United States Fish Commits
sioner as to the progress of the work of
stocking streams with fish. Mr.. Ford
closed by inviting criticisms of the pending
bill in order to reply to them or suggest
amendments.
Several representatives of the fishing in
terests up the Delaware asked an expla-
nation of the dimensions set down for the
shad net mesbes. The bill said they must
not exceed three inches in width. If this
meant three inches on each side of the
square formed by a mesh, it would all but
destroy shad fishing up the Delaware.
Mr.. Ford's reply was that the measure
ment suggested was inaccurate. "Three
inches in width meant three inches from
knot to knot, diagonally across the mesh. y
He added that in behalf of the herring
fishers the Pennsylvania bill had been
amended SO as to make tie width q in-
stead OF 3 inches. This explanation seem
ed to give satisfaction.
Senator Smith. OF the committee, said
that Fish Commissioner Ward, of New
Jersey, had spoken to him about an amend
ment excluding from the restrictions of the
bill the sttributaries of the Delaware"
Mr.. Ford's reply was that the tributaries
had been included in order to prevent GER
tain Pennsylvanians from indulging in a
habit of theirs in placing fyke nets at the
mouths of these tributaries Saturday even
ings, thereby scooping in everything that
came along and preventing fish from going
into the tributaries.
Senator Roe, of Gloucester, then asked,
on behalf of the committee: "Would it
be possible, in your judgment, Mr.. Ford,
to pass a bill that would equally protect
the shad, sturgeon and herring interests
and at the same time satisfy the sports
men?"
Commission Ford thought it possible to
accomplish this. but admitted that there
would be very serious difficulties.
James Strimble and George Stanton, of
Salem county, representing, respectively,
the sturgeon and gilling interests of that
section, were introduced. The former
said the proposed legislation suited the
sturgeon fishers, except that they would
like better protection for mammoose, which
are young sturgeon. Mr.. Stanton said that
the Salem gill fishers were perfectly salts
fled now that the explanation as to the
size OF the meshes had been given, as stated
above.
Mr.. Slrimble said the Salem fishers had
nothing to ask from the State. They en-
,joyed the best site for fishing on the river,
and the fishermen further up the Delaware
were welcome to all the shad that got past
Salem. He, however, was interested in
seeing the sturgeon men accommodated,
too, and favored a penalty in the law for
failure on the part of shad fishermen to
cast out again all young sturgeon caught.
lie himself knew that from IS, 900 to 20, 600
manmoose were caught in this way in the
river every year, and the return of them to
the water would certainly help sturgeon
fishing.
Mr.. Ford stated that the United States
Fish Com missioner HAD told him that
through o mistake the wrong kind of
Matching jars had been used last year for
sturgeon, but this would be corrected on
the next trip, and a consequent improve
ment in sturgeon fishing might be expect
ed. After hearing arguments to lengthen
the herring season till June 18th, the COM
mittee arose. Senator Roe has several OBJ.
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