The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-01-02
LATEST II FISH NETS.
A FRENCH INVENTOR INTRODUCES
NEW METHODS or SEEMING.

Electricity to BE Employed In Gathering
the Harvest Of the Sca-E-ow Fish May
BE Captured II large Quantities and
Before T:ley Know IT,
L has frequently Econ Z subject Of
comment that the 1rethct.s III vogue for
gathering tho "harvcst e the sea-
have scarcely changed fzom century to
century. The bone CT ivory or wooden
fishkcoks Of the Eskimo CT the south
sea islanders are represented, II is true,
in cur higher civilization hy the finely
pointed metal ones, but this il a refine
ment Of manufacture, not an improve
ment III method. 1t is equally true that
their TudelT twisted bark nets are only
to be compared with the product Of orr
rope walks and Irvine factories, greatly
to the advantage Of the latter. This in
dustry. as Cd as humanity, has, so to
say, mado Eat q single step since its
birth. They are essentially the same
coarse nets and the same hooks that
have always been employed fer the fish.
ing industry that are III Use today.
1t is frequently said. 'Ihe sea ought
to nourish the land" and il view Of
the rich supplies Of food which the sea
contains this seems to be Just. On the
other hand, tho complaints Of the fisher
men prove that their calling is far from
lucrative. We hear frequently OF re-
gions where fish were formerly abundant
which 1t present are hardly producing
anything. What is the cause Of this
state of things? There may in truth be
many causes, but it islaTgaly due to the
cruaeness Of the methods employed.
Fish show a strong tendency for quit,
ting the place where nets have been eIa-
ployod, which frightea them, or to
avoid returning if they are Of migrate
ny habits.
On the other hand, the nets and
drags often tear ND the bottom and dis
turb the spawning beds with tho eggs,
and sometimes the young. These con
siderations have led gentleman named
Trouve to conceive o new system Of fish
ing, employing somo Of tie methods Of
modern science and overcoming, as he
thinks, some of the objections to the
antiquated methods.
he claims to have accomplished
AMONG other results the attracting Of
the fish into his tolls and capturing
them without frightening them and
without much wear and tear on the nets
themselves. In his nets, for instance, of
a cylindrical shape, the ring forming
the bottom has lead sinkers fixed to it
in the ordinary way. while the uDner
edge consists of a rubber tube, which is
Ill communication by means Of a long
flexible rubber pipe with a reservoir IL
The boat and which is supplied with
compressed air By means of enc CT
more pumps. Instead of being placed
in the boat this reservoir can in some
cases be arranged on shore or even on q
special buoy.
When thrown in the water in the
usual way, the rubber tube having been
emptied Of air, the weight of the net
will, of course, take it TO the bottom,
where it forms astationary mass Of reia-
lively small volume, which will not of
itself terrify the fish. Having proceeded
to attract the fish to the location BY
methods which we will aliude to further
on, as soc as there is reason to believe |
that they have gathered i'll force a stcrs
cock is opened, allowing the compressed !
air from the reservoir TO flow into and
initiate the tubular ring constituting III
upper border Of the net. This ring, q
a result, augments In volume and form
a rigid mouth for the net, and at
given moment, in accordance with Il
law of Archimedes, it becomes bucyan
and rises to the top Of the water, carr
ing the net with it.
The important point is that this is
accomplished without noise and with
out agitating the water. The fish is net
alarmed, and is captured before be
knows it, without making any attempt
to escape.
The sane principle may be applied to
seine nets or purse nets.
1t is we'll known and recognized that
fish, in common with most terrestrial
animals. not excluding humans % are