Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-05-21
PRoPAaArISG sHaD.
United States Fish Commissions Steamer
Fish Hnyl at Gloucester.

United States Tish Commissions steamer
Fish Hawk ut Gioucestcr.
The United States Fish Commits.
sion's steamer Fish Hawk, Capt. Platt
in command, has arrived at Gloucester
to engage in the work Of propagating
shad, says the Philadelphia Evening
Telegraph. For the past or 10 years
the Fish Hawk has visited the Della
ware every spring, and turned millions
of ahad fry into the river. Until this
work was taken up by the Fish Com
mission the annual catch of shad was
on the decrease, and tho toothsome fish
promised soon TO become 80 scarce aud
high that it would only grace the
tables of the wealthicr classes. The
Fish Hawk and the government shore
hatcheries, however, have restocbed the
Delaware, until now shad are as plen-
tiful as ever.
Immense catches have been made
already this soason by tho big shore
nets. The fishery at Gloucester ana
the Howell fishery at Washington Park
have boon unusually Fortunate AT the
latter point all the hauls are made in
the day time, and the not is fished on
an average six limos day. Az high
as 1000 shad have been taken ut a
haul, besides rock fish, carp and in
Vulnerable sturgeon. William j.
Thompson, owner of the two fisheries,
in speaking of tho work of the Fish
Hawk, said:
There is no doubt that the shad-
fishing industry along the Delaware
from Trenton to tho sea has been
greatly benefited by tho work of the
Fish Hawk.
"The shad fry are distributed In the
river as far up as tho falls at Trenton,
and ii is peculiar fact that the shad
always return TO the stream where they
were born. As soon as they get old
enough to take care of themselves they
swim down to the sea. and it is said
they take an annual ocean trip as far
as the west coast of Africa. In the
spring, when the shad come up along
the Atlantic coast to enter the rivers for
the spawning season, some unerring
instinct leads them into their native
water. 1t is this habit which gives a
permanent value to the governments
work in propagating shad in tho Della
ware. The fish have increased until.
this season, they were sold az low as SO
100 wholesale, and the retail price
has been so low as to bring the iinny
delicacy within the reach of even the
poorest residents of this vicinity
The work of propagating shad on the
Fish Hawk is intensely interesting.
BY years of experiment it has been
brought to such high state of perfec-
tion that the officials on the trim little
steamer can tell with wonderful pre-
cision the percentage of wriggling shaG
that a certain quantity OF eggs will
produce.
The spawn is obtained at the Glou-
cester and Washington Park Fisheries.
Men are sent from the Fish Hawk to
be present when the big nets are
hau'ed in. In the mass of fioundering
fish in the net their experienced eyes
pick out the female shad that are ready
| to spawn.
The ''ripe" shad are seized and
gently stripped" OF the spawn. This
does not impair the edible value of the
shad, except that it is sold at the same
price as tho chuck" or male shad
After securing the eggs. which are
caught in buckets, fine healthy buck
shad arc stripped" over the eggs to
impregnate them.
The eggs are taken to the Fish Hawk,
and thoro the Matching process is kept
| on Tor from i've to seven days. Tho
principal care during this period lie to
secure the proper temperature and
| freshness Of water in which the eggs
develop. They ARE put in large glass
| jars, ranged in batteries. in which
| the river wator is kept in constant cir
culation. such of the eggs as fail to
develop are allowed to escape, while
the germ in the good egg gradually be-
comes observable, takes shape, and
bursts it's Transparent covering.
Tho fry are kept until they are
seemed capable Of looking after them
selves, and then they are liberated at
various points along the river. They
are shipped in cans to various points
as desired.
The Fish Hawk will remain at Glou-
cestor until near the end OF the shad
season, which closes June 18th.