Evening journal., 1901-02-18
NEWSPAPER OPINION
10 Restore hid Sturgeon Industry

10 Restore the Sturgeon industry
From the Philadelphia Public Ledger
a bill of unusual character. but OF
much importance was introduced in
tho legislature yesterday by Senator
Sproul Its purpose is 10 restore the
sturgeon industry OF the Delaware
river, and it carries with il an ny
niopration Of $500 u provides that
The work shall be carried on und the
direction of the Pennsylvania Fish
Commission, at the shad Matching sta
tion at Bristol. During the open sea-
son for the capture of sturgeon the
fishermen are to turn over to the Fish
Commission without charge, all the
ripe eggs and milt which may be OBJ
tainfd, the commission to bear the
cost of transportation only. If, when
the season is closed, a sufficient num-
Der of eggs has not been obtained, the
commission Is authorized to capture
the fish, and for that purpose the stur-
ge0n fishermen are to supply, without
charge. the necessary boats, nets and
other appliances. AS the taking OF
rira eggs by artificial means entails
! the death of the fish. and as the flesh
commands a high price in the market,
| the commission is authorized to sell
! tho Carcasses in the market of any
/ State where there is no close season,
the proceeds to be paid into the State
! Treasury for future sturgeon work.
! The unusual feature of this bill is
that its enactment depends on the
! States Of New Jersey and Delaware
passing an identical bill. including the
| provision that the entire work shall
/ be under the supervision of the Penn
1 sylvania Fish Commission, and that
each of the three states shall appro-
pirate $500, or $2.100 in ALL
The bill is important because the
\ sturgeon Industry i'm the Delaware
b, river is almost extinct, and unles.
some action of the character indi.
Gated Is promptly taken, in less thar
five years there will be no fish of this
species in the Delaware river Las
E season the catch was Improbable, ant
one manufacturing concern intimately
connected with the industry wal
forced to shut down. II is said tina
e there is nearly Sl000,000 invested il
r the business of catching sturgeon, an'
y that a large proportion Of this sum i
4 Pennsylvania capital Seven-ei ghth
a of the so-called Russian caviar, it 4
claimed, is prepared on the Delaware
and in consequence OF the rapidly de
creasing number Of fish this form O
food has reached almost prohibtiv
prices.
e Thus it will be seen that some leg
= islative action on the part Of the thre
states having jurisdiction over tn
lower Delaware river is highly i'm
III pcrtant and desirable That the fish
D. ermen. at whose instance It is state
so the bill has been introduced, are pre-
"A pared to bear their proportional
share or the expense is good evidenC
OF the seriousness OF the state Of a
pc fairs. 1t is fitting that the work
ed restoring the sturgeon industry
be the river be placed under the directio
xt Of the Pennsylvania Fish COmmissio
because it has a plant at BristC
which, with some slight changes, ca
e be made available, while neither Ne
o. Jersey nor Delaware possesses any
cy cilities whatever The high charact
M of the other fish cultural work pc
IA formed by the Pennsylvania Commi
sion is. moreover, a guarantee tn
~' this also will be faithfully and capab
.n- performed If tho three states. as tn
rs should give the necessary authori
and money by the passage Of conct
rent bills.