The sun., 1894-03-24
Tho Danger to Our Fisheries.

"o D""kor =" o"r Hs"erios'
The official report Of the Coast Fishery
Conference. recently held In this city. gives
some startling facts and figures. The
weight Of the evidence presented is SUM-
cient to bring any unprejudiced mind to
the conclusion that tho wanton waste OF
food fishes through tho modern methods Of
netting is exhausting our cuast-line supply.
One little extract from the testimony of
Mr.. SAMUEL B. MILLER. a fish dealer, be-
fore the Senate committee that investi-
gated this subject some time ago. will give
an idea Of the pernicious activity Of the
menhaden fishermen:
9th. Captain, of four or nvs Of the m.nhsd.a
nsh steamers have testified that they rarely food
nsn OF any Kind Have yoa any ano-.dse in regard
nonnd. ,,or, a.. y, cae,.s,. .,..,,. ",,s,U
III. las, thirty day.
"o-whas rsht A.-wsasesh
-e-And they were Put on the MARKET A.-rnsrs
20 ~, poun1s 80 y. 'uem pa. @ On ,as m.e
Island rh., /, III. load I ,poss OF ,houa th,ns
there was 7o.ooo pounds weight"
The remainder OF the Testimony vas 70
the same effect. One-tepth OF the catch
was marketed. and the rest thrown avav or
sent to Barren Island. Yet fish In the mar
ket were dear. When it is remembered that
this gives the work of only one steamer ont
OF the numerous fleet. and that tho Mound
nets are still more destructive. IL becomea
clear that restrictions are necessary To stop
this shocking waste. It La not proposed bv
anybody to limit the market supply or TO
Interfere with netting to apy extent that
might endapeer that supply. but IL IA nro-
posed To nut an end To this wanton sIauob-
ter; and the sooner that ia done by the sev.
eral States interested. the better.
The dealers appeared in force At this CON-
ference. with the statements that the mem
baden flsbermen took no food asbes. tb.t
the mound nets were A necessitv. that the
growing scarcity Of coast-line flsb existad
only In the eimaoination OF ANGLERS and ,h.t
as Prof. HUxIEy once said "man wos NO,
a factor In the increase or decrease Of sea
fishes" But. unfortunately for them the
Professors remark had reference to the ont
side or open-sea fisheries. and did NOT IN.
clude those of the shallow waters n, hsy.
and estuaries In which the choicast y, on
food fishes remain. Moreover. on mora
than than one occasion ths daalers lat tha
cat out OF the bag.
For instance Mr.. A. WANNA Jr =,
Keyport. N j. after st.tjno ,h.t ,hora
was "no dImlnution NJ the onant,,v .,
fish coming 10 our shores and thst
the nets did not in anv wav in,ar,ara
with the SUNNY. ofyered a rasoInt,on a.
Tending the mounds against "tha IIro,tad
hundreds who clamor apainst tbem ,o- tLa
reason that their use interferes With The
indulgence a, thair tas,a ,or sDor, ~ 'A0
Here we have a tolerabIv frank admiss,on
that the use OF the nets does Interfere witb
angling. fit does. Il must be because ~
interferes with the supnlv, n tbssa trans
did not have anv effect nnon the ,norassa
or decrease Of the fishes. the angIars would
catch as many fish now os svar ,hav d,d
But, as a matter OF fact. they can hardly
catch anv and ~ cannot he asanr,oa a..
.ho,, 49,. "A, ,.---e.- a - 'Has
my Ho'o oii ioiso.sen tnei1 cunning.
Other dealers, after precisely the same
line of argument, attacked the hotal
keeners who tbav aaId xxora ,o.I,I,,-
!. .-,,.a,,. ..'.t-. A. "s
: = NIuS"uo Ssainss tno pouhus, because
Ihey "ahteu 10 NIL their establishments
with summer boarders who were fond OF
fshInu Hara tha cat again r,oka. a. -.
Doaranoo =, ~, ,.,.,s.-.I =. -.
- 'no ''in"'"i VI inc pounds
couIu nave no eHecI upon the natural sup