The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-05-26
PLEA FOR THE FISH.


Editor Democrat Star:
1t seems to me that when nj State and
county fathers arc passing laws for th,
protection Of oysters aud red-head-d buzz
yards, they should stop and think OF The
millions of fish that arc annually destiny.
ed in bayons aud lakes BY the use o
tho gill net and seine. For an illustra'
ton, whenever a cold snap Is approach
ing. the fish leave the shallow waters OF
the bavs aud seek shelter from the cold
in the deep holes in the bayous, and no
sooner have they entered the stream than
zip" goes a stop net across the mouth,
and they arc driven to the head OF
against another net, and then the
dcath-dealing gill net. The fish are thus
caught, large aud small. of Course. The
small fish are not marketable, but they
are destroyed by countless numbers.
Those who have not seen this eau i'm
agine what numbers OF small fish are thus
destroyed to get "a few pounds of fish tn
sell. II is like going into "a ts,rnyard and
slnushtering all the young fowls to get
Que or two for dinner. The seine is not
80 bad as the gill net. because it cannot
bs drawn with any great success where
there are snags or other distractions in
the bottom Of the stream. But not 50
with the gill oct. Oh. 10. Just here il
gets IN both feet. IL is stretched across
the stream and ~ziSzay.ed IN all sorts ot
crooks. Now ome the pole aud the fish
IRE forced against its soft and plant
meshes, and their tate is sealed. Not one
out Of y hundred will live after they are
taken ont Of the net, even If they are
thrown back ia the water, for their gils
are injured by their being clicked in the
mrshes of The net.
Years Y before the advent OF this
kind of net, we oil know that It was no
trouble to catch Il nice string Of front or
red fish in any of our large bayOrs, like
Bayou Heron or bayou Cumbest, bu
you might play ''fool at n end and
worm at The other" until you were hun.
Cry enough to eat your boots before You
would catch enough fish 70 eat, and the
reason is plain. Just below you thcre Is
u gill net across the stream, with one or
two men with poles beating tho water
into foam, 50 frightening the fish that
they think Of hothin. but escape. The
law says y"u mnst cnll tho oyster on the
reef" Good law, that, because the
small oyster will grow, but not the fish
They aIe lead-choked to death by the
gill net. Now let us see who are the par
ties benefited by this kind Of fishing,
Only u few, Mr.. Editor, TO the detriment
of the whole community. If the owners
of these nets are compelled to Use them
ont in the bays, where they belong, aud
the fish have some show for their lives
the time is not far distant when all lovers
of the piscatorial art can have u day.
sport any time. There were once plenty
Of fish in Bayous lIerrou and Cumbcst,
but nOw the accursed gill net has almost
exterminated the whole tribe.
believe the law gives the owners Of
the lands power to prevent trespass by
posting the lands, yet there are parties
who maintain the idea that all natural
growth oysters as well rs fish are flee, no
matter where found. And inst here con.
fer rs especial favor on your tOrrespOn'
dent by giving through the columns 81
the old reliable DEMOCI,AT-STAI your in.
depreciation OF this law. BY 50 doing
You may possibly save some one a bill al
at Hotel do Moore. l ask now where !,
WIG CiuCO wi 'u'o SiVdJ WI tu'uo
and there are plenty Of Others who think
likewise, # there Is no law to prevent thi.
wholesale slaughter Of the fish by tn;
use Of gill nets and seines III the bayOus
Of our Coast. then by all means let onl
Il w-makers frame one, and eufOrcc It b,
corfiscating the entire outfit Of the vic
latOrs and in addition, put the parties il
Jail until they stop this Wholesale slaugh
ter of small fish for no earthly good.
These are facts, and like ljancO's ghost
will not down. II something Is not don,
in u few years, the knowing what q tiOu
or red fish looks like will ouly he within
the memory of the oldest inhabltant.
PISCES.
Jackson County, May 25, 1891.
In chapter 81 Annotated Code, section
2l26 reads: "The boards Of supervisor,
may prohibit the use Of seines, barrel
nets, gill-nets, and other like coutriv
ances for taking fish, or any OF them, o
may restrict the use of the same to waite
courses, lakes or ponds which annually
80 dry may prohibit or regulate the us'
OF tho same in particular waters, an,
may prescribe what kinds Of se,ncs o
nets may be used, and when and where
The remedy which our correspondent lie
sires, us will be seen. lies wholly with tn
pleasure of the Boards of Supervisors
to enact such laws as may meet the re
quirements of localities where the de
struction of fish violates the common in
terests. A similar provision is made fol
the preservation of The oyster, and til
Board Of Supervisors have passed law
restricting the catch, and We see no rea
son why orders should not be made an
enforced relative to the taking Of fish
This IL a question of no little importance
to IL county, and VIC hope to see it con
sidered by our Supervisors.