Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-28
LAWS ARE Nor EsroRcEn
The oyster industry is threatened.

According to a prominent member OF
the State Board OF Fisheries the condi-
tons under which these she11f1sh now
grow must be radically changed or elss
the oyster industry. which now means 50
much to the State, will within Ave OK sin
years be wellnigh ruined.
Tho trouble is partly with the present.
oyster law In Virginia, but mostly with
tho people themselves. The oystermsn
in some Of the Tidewater counties ars
killing ''ths goose that laid the golden
egg" Not only have many become
pirates preying on public oyster fields du-
ring the closed season. but they go fur
Their and make no pretense OF keeping tha
law. The great damage Is done In
summer. when they take the seed oyster
from the public beds. transferring them
to the private. They will state outright
that they do as they please. and defy the
authorities to catch them. While the
law breakers are at the bottom OF much
of tho trouble. it does not end with
them.
The Law Not Enforced.
Some of the Commonwealth's Attor-
neys. magistrates. and other officers. 1t
is asserted. fail, refuse, or neglect to
press presentments. indictments, or
prosecutions, for political reasons. Pub
lie sentiment in some of the counties Ia
so pronounced against the present laws
that these men cannot. for obvious rea-
sons. afford to enforce the laws as they
should be. This would loss them votes.
The present Board of Fisheries has done
everything within its power to better
conditions, but so far has signally failed.
The next probable step will be to have
the whola matter OF the violation of the
oyster laws brought prominently before
the Legislature. with the idea OF bring
ing the chief offenders to a better way OF
thinking.
In the counties of Gloucester and
Mathews the people have gone so far as
to form an association to Oppose the
Board OF Fisheries and to influence legis-
1ation.
This association, known as the Seine
and Pound Net Association. however. APP
plies moro to fishing than to clanrnmS
and clustering. Seine and pound net
license taxes. especially in the counties OF
Mathews and Gloucester. remain ur-
paid The States revenue from the
oyster grounds IN Horn Harbor and MIL
ford Haven is greatly diminished. Num-
bers of indictments have for long time
is little action and tardy Justice
The "FIeet'' Inadequate.
The oyster police own three steamers
and one sailing craft, but these are en-
tireIy inadeuuate~to deal with the pirates.
Fishermen only laugh at the passing
craft Even were they causht-a thing
not probable-by some political pull they
could get the charges freed. or, better
vet. have the case dismissed. There are
easier ways yet OF escaping the hand OF
Justice. Oystermen. 1t Is said. carry fine
marine glasses and can see and tell
police boat within a range of from ten
to twenty-five miles. II they have oysters
aboard. taken out of season from beds
for seeding purposes, then they QUICKLY
throw them overheard. so that when tns
police arrive these fishermen nave ing
decks clear and washed clean and have
their legitimate fishing lines overheard.
The police then are poweriess 10 nandle
them
Sneciaf efforts are now IN progress by
the Board of Fisheries to have the pound
net and seine license dues settled at once
and TO bring about some adjustment OF
the deiinduent milford Haven and Horn
Harbor taxes, which amount TO ABOUT
5000 or $4,000.
In other parts of the State the graded
licenses from s. to s12. according to tha
size of the net, have been paid In
Gloucester and Mathews counties they
have not.
There can be no compromise with tina
old delinauents for fear that those coun-
ties which have paid the dues promptly
will ask for a rebate.
Methods of Destruction.
a large proportion OF virglnia's natural
oyster rocks and shoals have been
destroyed or hopelessly depleted. Tha
public oyster grounds are rapidly de-
crea sing in area and becoming less and
less profitable to the public worker.
This is due to many reasons, all OF which
could be avoided.
The greatest damage IS done through
the continued use OF patent tongs. Be>
tween so and 60 per cent. OF the oysters
| "patent'' tong will do the work of ten
others. But in this work 1t destroys
the oyster rock. Where the tong descends
it buries itself deep. A bowl-shaped oasin
is formed. and oysters not taken by tina
tong settle back into the gully and the
wash Of the wafer covers them With mud
and sand Thus they are killed and
buried forever on the bottom OF the bay
Claiming not only ruins tho oysters.
but 1t breaks the natural oyster rock. at
the present time the State expends about
| 80 600 to protect the oysters. while those
| fishing for clans are at work. In return
! the State receives from claiming licenses
from 500 TO $1.o00. In other words. tf
costs the people OF the State three times
as much TO protect the oyster during thu
summer as 1t receives from the entira
claiming industry.
/ This does not take into account the
vast injury done TO the oyster beds AS
there is no closed season fo< claiming.
| fishermen during the id!e summer
months. when they cannot oyster. so
after clans CLAIMS grow beneath ths
oysters and In getting the former. both
are scooped up. This. moreover. Is dons
at a critical time. or when the oyster b
spawning.
/ Another radical evil IS the great length
! OF the open oyster season. The closed
i season now lasts from May LIST. to Sep-
/ TENDER 1st. This. 1t Is argued. should be-
i extended a month In the spring and ond
| In the fall. This would make the open
/ season from October LIST to April LIST. and
would give the oyster a much better show
to propagate. and. in the end. would
/