Evening journal., 1900-05-03
The Shad Catch b the Delaware

The Shad Catch in the Delaware
From the Philadelphia Public Ledger
The run Of shad in the Delaware
river this year almost surpasses be-
lief Even those who have closely fol-
lowed the national and state fish cul-
tural work are amazed at the enormous
catches which have been made since
the opening of the season. It is re-
ported that more than 200,00e shad
were brought to this market on Sat
urday alone, and the almost incredita-
BILE statement is made that the catch
thus far made at Pennsgrove, N. j.,
exceeds that made at that place during
the entire season last year. 1t is fur
ther declared that the catch of the
river to date is more than double that
for the same period last year, and the
season of 1899 was regarded as a phe-
nOmenal one. It is probably safe to
say that more shad were taken from
the Delaware river last week than
during the entire season Of 1880, be-
fore the work of artificial prOpaga-
tion of this species of fish was system
atically begun, and wise fish protective
laws were rigidly enforced.
One effect of the enormous catch of
price OF this tOothsome fish and place
it within easy reach of everyone tt
is, in fact, to-day one of the cheapest
of foods, because 10 or 10 cents on Sat
urday would buy two and half to
three and a half buck shad, and %
cents a roe shad of the same weights
For this boon the people are directly
indebted to the National and Pennsyl-
vania Fish Commissions. 1t is the
habit Of some ignorant or thoughtless
persons or people, to whom wise fish
protective laws are irksome, to criti-
else the National and Pennsylvania
Fish Commissions particularly the lat
ter, and express a doubt of their eff
cheney, or the wisdom Of making hber-
al appropriations to enable them ~
continue their work to the fullest ex-
tent But exhibits like that being
made in the Delaware river, rise every
now and then to cOnfound criticism
and the critics. To deny that the vast
annual increase Of shad in the Della
ware river is the result of the fish c0l-
tural work of the United States and
Pennsylvania Fish Commissions, would
be folly and subject the person who
attempted it to well deserved ridicule.
1t is only necessary to recall the his
tory of the shad industry of the Della
ware river to place the credit of the
present condition of things wnere il be-
longs. AT the beginning of the present
century the annual shad catch was es-
timated to be worth about 500, ,0o0
From that period until 1880, with few
exceptional years, there was n steady
decline in the value of the fisheries, un-
| til, IN the last named year, the catch
was worth only $SO,0O0 For this the
increased demand for fish and destruct-
i've methods of fishing were entirely re-
| sponsible. Soon after 1880 the United
States Fish Commission began the arti-
/ fetal propagation of shad in the river,
and the Pennsylvania Fish Commits
sion secured concurrent acts by the
/ Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New
York Legislatures, which puC a stop to
destructive methods of fishing Within
three years the value of the shad catch
had risen to 100000, and by 1890 It was
worth over 100000. In the last ten
years the annual catch has averaged
over half a million dollars annually.
Every spring the United States Fish
Commission matches and plants more
than 30.OO0,000 little shad in the Della
ware, and Pennsylvania hatches and
plants over 100000 The average
shad deposits about 10000 eggs, and,
from natural spawnings, it is estimated
that Of this number about twenty-five
or thirty little fish succeed in reaching
the ocean safely in the fall of tie year.
BY artificial Matching It is figured that
nearly 300 reach the same goal. With
these advantages and the general OBJ
Iservance of the laws regulating fish
ing the enormous increase in the sup
ply of shad in the river is a natural
sequence, and the credit therefor must
so to the Fish Commissions. These
bodies are doing fine work in other
directions, but the returns from the
Delaware alone repay the national and
state governments for the money that
is expended, and this work, without
, considering other, entities them to re-
! ceive all the money they ask for with
! which to carry on the work of FISH cul-
! ture There is not the slightest doubt
: that If the two commissions were
more literally dealt with In money
} matters, and the advice Of the Pennsyl-
: vania Fish Commission, with respect
to fish protective laws, taken by the
, Legislature, fish would soon be as
abundant in all the waters of the state
. as they now are In the Delaware river