Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-12
N COLONIAL TIMES, AND UP TO ABOI
- 1879 the shod fsbar;ao ~ bo potop,oc


SION.
N COLONIAL TIMES, AND UP TO ABOUT
- 1885, the shad fisheries of the Potomac, it is
learned from the United States fish commits
sion, were entirely prosecuted by means of haul
seins. Every large plantation on the river had
its fishing shore; the catches of shad and
herring were large, and the returns from the
shores very profitable, some of them renting
for several thousand dollars. A few years
prior to 1895 gill nets were introduced by fish
ermen from the Delaware, and in
that year had multiplied to such an
extent as to embarrass the operation
and materially affect the profits of the fishing
shores. In 1885 a convention of master fisher
men was called at Alexandria. Va, to protest
against the use OF gill nets and to take meas
urcs to secure legal prohibition of their use.
This was the beginning of the contest which
was waged for years between the plantation
owners on the one side, who claimed exclusive
privileges under vested riparian rights, and
the wandering fisherman who had only his
boat and couple OF hundred fathoms of net
and who insisted upon and successfully as
serted his right to ual fishing privileges with
riparian proprietors in the public waters Of the
state
Both the haul seines and gill nets we're
operated in the rivers--there was no catch OF
VI
product OF the river fisheries was very large,
though We have no accurate data Of the num-
Der OF fish taken in season.
In 1871 trap or pound nets were introduced
into Chesapeake waters. They we're first en-
ployed on the eastern shore in the salt water
hshlng. They rapidly multiplied and were set
at every available point on the west shore of
the bay in the track Of the shad and herring
advancing fl ON the capes to their spawning
grounds in the rivers The nets were then in
troduced into the rivers crowding their lower
reaches so as most efectually to arrest the pro-
gress of the shad and herring to their spawn
ing grounds, which are above the limits
OF brackish water The result under the
present condition Of the fisheries, is that fully
50 per cent Of the shad and herring are captured
before they reach their spawning grounds. OF
the remaining 70 per cent the larger portion
are captured by seines and gill nets in the
rivers, and the opportunities afforded for uatu-
raj reproduction are entirely inadequate to keep
up the supply The fisheries are under condi-
tions wholly artificial and their maintenance is
dependent upon artificial propagation.
In seeking to estimate the influence of this
work upon the fisheries it will be necessary to
treat the fisheries OF the Chesapeake area as a
whole. Fish planted III the Potomac remain u
few months and then descend to the salt water,
and only a small proportion of those which
survive and mature can safely run the gauntlet
Of pound nets and find their way back into the
river. The results Of artificial propagation
upon the fisheries OF the Potomac can
not properly be measured by the actual
production Of the fisheries Of this river
from year to year, for the reason that the
larger proportion Of the fish which could enter
the Potomac and be taken by the seines and
gill nets in the river are captured in the bay
and at the mouth of the river by the pound
nets. To get a fair measure Of the results Of
artificial propagation We must deal with the
Chesapeake basin as a whole.
In the following tables are. given: /. The
paintings of shad made in the tributaries Of the
Chesapeake basin from 1880 to 1891. 2 The
aggregate yield of the shad fisheries of this
region for the census year and for 1885, 1885,
1887 and 1888.
1t will be seen that the production Of the re-
gion as whole has advanced steadily, the
number OF shad taken in 1888 being nearly
2OOO,O 900 in excess of the number taken in
1880. The fishing grounds have, however,
been transferred to the bay and the lower
reaches Of the rivers. and the bulk Of the fish
have been taken by the pound nets on the bay
shores, much to the detriment of the fisheries
In the rivers.
Productions Of the shad fisheries of the
Chesapeake and its tributaries for a series Of
vaara.