Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-02
coming obsolete The migrations of

coming obsolete. The migrsti0ns OF
schools Of the few remaioing mackerel
along the coast are characterized by that
shyness and timidity which are significant
of the fear they iustinctivsly feel. The
seinng schooners have hardly made ex-
penses for two seasons past, but they still
cruise up and down the coast on the look
out for school, usually in company, for
they are jealous of one another, and when
school is sighted it is chased for many
miles, sometimes for days until i. 10 either
captured or dispersed, ''As plenty as
the fish in the sea-" is proverbial and sig
nifies a state Of inc xhaustibe plentifulness
but even the FISH in the sea can be exter
minated.
That it is not possible that mackerel will
ever be exterminated from American
wsters, because there was once so many of
them, as some few people claim, 10 absurd
ly fallacious, and did not lack of space
prevent many cases could be cited to prove
it. There is no general law limiting the
size Of mackerei which is enforced, and IS
result many very small thinkers"
are caught and marketed. or what is
worse. used for trawl bait. No mack
erel should be caught and retained unless
csught with hook and line. The season
should not open before July l instead of
June ! as at present, for many female
msckerel are in spawn during June. No
nets of any kind should be cast for any
kind of fish within three miles of shore. As
herring and mackerel frequently school
together, and but a small portion of the
school are visible on the surface of the
water, it is hard to tell which fish FREEDOM
mate. Herring fishermen often find on
hauling their nets that they have made
large haul of mackerel, and vice versa. As
vessels fit out in regard to salt. barrels,
etc, for fresh salt or other trips, these
fish of an unexpected species are sacrificed,
as it is impossible to properly dispose of
them.
The piratical menhsden steamers that
cruise along the entire New England coast.
disregarding and evsding the laws, getting
seized one day, paying nominal fine the
next, ard illegally but profitsbly fishing
again on the third, are a curse to our mack
eIel and herring fisheries, and should be
seized and confscated whenever detected
in their lawless work. These menhaden
steamers have caught In their nets and sac
rificed untold thousands of barrels of mack
erel. The mere casting of net, even if
not one fish is caught, is alone effectual in
determination, as both mackerel and her
ring are shy. timid fish, and when once
separated from the school rarely if ever
come together again. IL laws similar to
the above were made and enforced mack
erel and herring would again be numerous
before many years in our waters. HOLSTERS
have been growing scarcer and higher for
years,
The lob:ter does not rank 50 highly from
commercial as an epicurean standpoint,
yet hundreds of shore fishermen live
through the winter solely on the products
of their lobster pots, and what is worth
having is certainly worth retaining. The
f.h commission has recently placed several
hundred thousaud Holsters in Eastern
waters. but the laws are so lax that it is of
but little benefit, as females in spawn and
small lobstefS of illegal length are caught
and marketed with impuni,y. The Maine
law prohibits the catching or having in ones
possession Holsters under 10 10 inches in
length. except from May 10 to July 10
when they can be caught and sold as small
as Zine inches The HOLSTERS are not meas
ured until the lObsterman reaches his car,
which is near shore in shoal water. Then all
oNcE ~ 10 iuCuts HD ius' HIS CdE, anu MA
urler that size, presumably. do not. Put
many states have no similar law. and as he
lobsterman has simply to get the HOLSTERS
out of his own Commonwealth in order to
be secure, he takes the chances. aud as
result, thousands Of barrels of small lob
steYs are annually smuggled out of the
Pine Tree State. 1t should be illegal to
bring into shoal water at any time of the
Id I u ;.,l
or to catch or retain a female lobster in
spawn. Any one having si.her in his pos
session should be subject to heavy an,
or imprisonment, or both.
The Grand Banks are probably more
valuable TO the United States than would
be large common gold mine. But the
Goldfish, too, is in need Of attention. Ia
like other fish of more aesthetic appear
ance, he is somewhat of a connoisseur in
regard to his surroundings, and the clean
irgs and entrails of fish, technically called
curry" are very distasteful to him. The
Grand Bankers have found that, after
throwing this curry overheard, they
were unable to catch 4ny more fish. They
now carry curry kids in which the
ciearings are placed and kept till the fish
Jog is over. This is very well
as far as the catch of each schooner
on each trip is concerned, but
if these deposits of curry" drive the cod
away from that locality, it is but que stion
of time when they, like the mackcrel, will
be forced to seek more remote waters.
Schooners should, as far as practi cable,
clean their fish at the wbarves. The writer
strongly advises the doirg away with cod
and halt NJ travis, and using instead the
old fashioned staple haad line. 1t 10 suffic-
lent to supply the market, and IL it wss in
general use there would be no ground for
fears of an r-production and consequen,
ruinou, prices, as was the case with mack
erei.
Such, in brief, is the state Of our deep
sea fisheries, and such IS have been outlined
are the measures which should be adopted
to revive them, in the opinion of one who
has made them careful study from every
stand point. Alarming as the situation
appears.it is no, too late to make reparation,
and it prompt measures are adopted our
fisheries will in few years be in a. pros
porous condition as ever. Measures for !
the protection of the fisheries should be |
adopted out Of regard for the fishermen |
if for no other reason. There is 20 class
of people who have a greater claim upon u. |
than the American fishermen. But it is |
not from motives of sentiment purely that |
the United States should regard the inter- |
ests Of the fishermen with more than ordi- |
nary interest In the ls.e war they manned |
our var ships and did yeoman service in |
fighting for the Stars and Stripes. This |
they are ready and wiling to do again
shonlj occasion demand it. Oar fishermen
are today practically standing army. quite
IS available and valuable in time of need |
IS our militia, and for this reason, if fsr
10 other. they demand our pro.eciion.-l
JoBS Il. ROGERS IN Boston Gfo5e