Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
FISH AND FISHERIES
Important Work Done in
Keeping up the Supply.
SUBSTITUTE FOR MEAT
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT AND
VARIOUS STATES ARE DOING.
Stocking Rivers and Lakes With New
Notwithstanding HOLSTERS
Oysters and CLANS.
SUBSTITUTE FOR MEAT

Written for The Evening Star.
The present high price of meat and the
prospect that the price VIII not be material
" lowered in the future has forcibly drawn
the attention of Congress to the Importance
of fish as a food. The consumption of fish
has greatly increased since the price of
meat began to rise above the reach of ordi-
nary DeOnle How long the present large
SIMPLY of fish will continue depends en-
whether or not the fisheries are carried on
I'm such manner as 70 cause more destruc-
tion of fish life than can be compensated
for by the vast reproductive powers of
these fish which escape the nets and hooks
Of the fishermen. The steam fishing boat
and the canning factory have dealt destruc-
ton on all sides, and had it not been for
artificial propagation carried on by the
state and government fish commissioners
there is little doubt that many of the fish
now familiar to the public would have al
most or entirely disappeared.
The fishing interests of the different
states have been urging Congress to in
crease the facilities of the fish commission,
and as a result there has been for the first
time n large number of bills introduced at
this session providing for the establishment
of fish hatcheries and biological stations.
One of these bills, the omnibus fish cul-
tural BILL" reported favOrably to the
House authorizes the establishment of fiji
teen new stations in different parts of the
United States and appropriates for this
purpose S3yO,OOo. The bill assumes that the
average cost of each hatchery will not eX-
coed ST. ,0s9. There are al present thirty
six government and eighty-three state fish
cultural stations scattered over the coun-
try The favorable report of the commit
tee on merchant marine and fisheries
the omnibus fish cultural bill' states:
Substitute for Meat.
1.-THE, price of beef at the present time is
SO high that it is beyond the reach of many
people, and considerably changes the pop
ular diet. Such a substitute as fresh fish
should be afforded in every section of this
country, not only as furnishing a proper
supply of cheap and healthful food, but as
creating employment for large aud de-
serving class Of people. The fishing in
dustry may seem Insignificant to those who
have not investigated it. On the contrary,
it is one of the most important of our in
dUsJries, and. as indicative Of its import
anCe. the Weld and value of the fisheries of
the United States. according to the latest
available statistics, amount to total of
1.1SI oJ6 $50 pounds a year. valued at Sic
4-}.0}1. The value of the salmon product
In the state of Wash ngton alone last year,
which amounted To s1V0.Oo0. exceeded the
total value OF the entire Pacific coast prod
net for the year 1889
This vast increase in the catch of fish
would soon cause the extinction of many of
the most important food fishes if nothing
were done 10 replensh the supply. The
plan of the omnibus bill IS 10 distribute
the new hatcheriCs in as many states as
have TO government hatcheries, and only
where special reason exists has the COM
mittee placed government hatchery in 4
state where on already exists. BY the CO.
operation Of the state and government fish
cultural stations it is expected that there
will be a large increase in the supply of
FISH. Many Of the state stations are very
extensive The annual cost of the state of
Washington alone in maintaining her sta