The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-05
GREAT OCEAN FISHES.
The Sharks Which Swim All Waters
Of the World.
EXTINCTION THREATENS TIE
BASKING SHARK.

uowytTs F;sbed for and Converted into
Cod-Liver Oil-shark Fisheries OF the
yyorld-The Trade in Sharks Fins
Strange Uses for Shark Products
sharks of Our Own Waters.
correspondence of the Buston Trans
cript.)
Washington, Nov. s0-The biggest nsn
that swims in the sea is threatened with
extermination. News to that eifec'
comes from Norway, where this capture
of the masking shark has given employ
ment to a large number OF people ioi
,nauy wears past. The animal attalns
a length somewhat excee ding forty feet,
andsits enormous liver sometimes yleloS
as much as twenty barrels, or 6oo gallons
of "pure cod-iiver" oil. This product,
sold in the market as An extract Oh coo-
livers, furnishes the object OF the ohase.
The basking shark is so chilled from
itsshabit of living motionless at the sur
face of the sea, its huge, saii-lKe pacA'
fin starding out of the water. IL mas
seven rows of teeth, 200 in each row nut
it is sluggish anu harmless, subslstlna
on small fishes and crustaceans. AL
along the Norway coast the fishery fol
This STUPID; and bulky denizen OF the
deep has been pursued very prontaDiy
for more than century. Unlike otDei
species of sharks, it is not voraolous, ana
on that account a special method Is en-
Moved for capturing it. In fact, the
ulan adopted is much like that used ior
taking whales.
The fishing is done in large open poats'
which cruise about under triangular
sails. each craft manned by four sailors
and harcoonefs. The Earpoons used are
attached to 800 or 400 fathoms OF line
When the great FIN OF q shark is sighted
the boat approaches the prey until per-
ceived by the latter. The fish, there
upon. dnes not seek TO escape, but, OH
the contrary, approaches the boat ana
follows slowly in It's wake. Why 1t pur-
eues these tactics nobody Knows; sput
the fishermen have notion that Il mis-
takes the boats sail for the fin of anoth-
Ell shark. When the animal comes close
eaough a harpoon is seuU deep into Its
body. Instantly it dives, and then comes
very exciting struggle. One man
puurs water over the swivel on which
the line runs, 30 prevent the rope from
taking fire, while another stands by with
an axe, ready TO cut ths line If hitch
occurs. Should it catch, the boat would
be capsized a. once
The shark, on reaching bottom, sw1ms
along 1t until tired out. AT the end OF
three or four hours il is so exhausted as
to he hauled to the surface and speared
TO dtats.. It's liver is then removed,
and the body is cast adrift. The fishery
for this greatest of sharks has been car
ried on SO industriously, not only along
the Norway coast, but about Spitzbergen
and in other far northern waters, that 1t
is not surprising to learn Of the threat
eued extinction of the animal FHrtu-
nateIy, the diminution of its numbers
has been the direct cause of an impor-
tan5 increase in the shoals of herring 60
which visit those shores. In other parts
of the world the basking shark is not
infrequently seen. SO that long time Is
likely to elapse before the creature is
completely exterminated.
Basking sharks have been taken in our
own waters, on the Pacific side as well
as in the Atlantic. In the United States,
however, there is no regular fishery for
sharks of any kind. A good many Of
them are captured accidentally with
menhaden, and with the latter are
ground up for fertilizer OF cooked for
oil. The cooking is done by boiling, and
the Gsh-pulp is squeezed in presses. the
oil eiug run IF and refined. This sort
of oil is used as lubricant and for tan
mig. The sharks referred to are mostly
"dogtish" and "dusky sharks" the
latter rarely exceeding ten feet in length.
Fishermen. when they catch SHARK,
commonly try out the liver and utilize
the oil for their private purposes. On
the west coast the Chinese eat sharks
fins, which are dried and made into q
broth that is regarded by the pig tailed
Orientals as superior to green turtle
soup. The fms are rich in nutritious
gluten.
Enormous quantities of sharks fms are
consumed in China. and from 700, 900 to
800, 900 pounds of them are imported an
nually into that country from Bombay
alons, representing commercial value
of s75, 600 to $780, 900. These delicacies
are also shipped to the Middle Kingdom
from Sumatra, Borneo, New Zealand,
the Sandwich Islands and even from Cali
1ofnis. The fins most highly esteemed
by conuoisssurs are the back fins, those
from the sides and belly being of infer
Tor quality. The fish which furnishes
the best fms ia known as the "soup-in
SHARK" 1t runs In great schools some
times, and the Chinese take it with bait
ed hooks. Sharks are fshed for all along
the Asiatic coast.
While sharks of various kinds are val
uable commercially for the oil obtained
from their livers chiefly, they furnish
other useful products. One of these is
q kind Of lei Their called "shagreen,"
which is on }eyr,i for covering instrR-
mept-cases at fnr other purposes. Ii Is