Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-01-21


believe that rock and perch migrate, but
they do not; they remain during the entire
| year in our local waters. Although they
| leave the small streams for the deeper
water of the Delaware river it is well
assured fact that they do not migrate. In
proof of this: During open winters both
rock and perch are caught on the shores Of
this and Cumberland county during warm
sunshiny days. In fact rock fish are very
seldom caught near the mouth Of the Della
ware bay. They make their first appear
ance after severe winter on the shore Of
both Delaware and New Jersey at about
abreast Ship John Light House, eighteen
miles below the mouth of Salem creek, ,and
gradually make their way up the river and
its tributaries as soon as the ice has melted.
That very few fish Of this kind are caught
below Ship John is one of the best reasons
to believe that they do not migrate and IN
some instances they have been caught right
in the dead OF winter in eel fixes in our
small streams. In from one to two weeks
from the time rock come to our shores perch
make their appearance.
The laws governing the catching of both
rock and perch in nets name the fifteenth
day of June as the close season to continue
until August tenth, when it should be made
at least month earlier and close the tenth
Of July, for at this period these species
have spawned and are in the pink of condi-
tion for food.
most valuable of all fish, not as food fish
Of American born citizens but as money
maker. These fish command higher
price than any o. our food fish, more so
than the rock, perch, shad, etc Only
foreigners eat them, and the highest prices
are paid for them when alive. The fisher
men have what is knosgp as the life car,
and in these cars the fish are confined until
enongh is captured for shipment. The life
car is then towed behind naptha launches
I'd the Philadelphia markets. The fish
that have died on the trip are sold cheap
to the poorer ella ses Of Italians, Hunga-
rians, etc, while the Jews give almost any
price for live carp as their religion forbids
them buying dead animals. The Jews also
say that these fish have delicacy Of flavor
when in fact the flesh Of the carp is coarse
and has peculiar muddy taste, probably
from the fact that they get their living
from nOarishment from the mud in the bot
tom OF our streams They are what is
known as the sucker class of fish. They
have no teeth but bore into the mud, suck
ing the fine particles through their throat
and ri Is. It was at one time believed that
the carp was a very destructive fish, prob-
ably due to the fact that no other fish
/ would thrive where the carp abounded
But this idea has been dispelled. Is has
been learned that the carp is a harm ess
/ fish, hut 'cannibals," (fsh feeding upon
other fish will not make their home with
sucker like the carp
The fishermen hereahouts ask that law
be enacted allowing them to fish for carp
with net or seine, the meshes Of which
shall not be less than 81 inches; and that
the law enacted last year compelling a
fisherman to procure license from the
Fish Commission before they can catch
thetn b. repealed.
| The fishermen Of Paulsboro have drafted
bill providing FIR no close season for the
carp, but this is not in accord with the
wishes Of the fishermen in this county.
Since our fishermen have learned that carp
is net a destructive fish they desire close
season during the month Of July and posi-
b y D portion of August.
| Catfish and eeis should he given pro-
lection, at least that is what our fishermen
contend.
| There seems to be some satisfaction over
the laws governing the sturgeon Eight
| years ago Delaware and New Jersey jointly
passed law for the protec,ion If sturgeon
naming the close Season June 18th Della
ware has not kept god faith. She wiped
the law from the statute books as applies ia
her side Of the river and while fishermen
from Delaware can fish the entire year Nrw
Jersey fishermen are compelled to respect
the clpse season. When the writer asked
Attorney General Ward why Delaware re-
pealed This law he replied: Because there
are no fish; and it Is uaeless to have law
upon our statute books that applies TO
practically nothing 2 Delaware hss not a
single i~h law upon her statute bucks, and
there should be q movement started thar
would cnlminate in the joint enaelmeni by
Delaware and New Jersey If fi-I, laws that
would be a inutna benefit 70 both the n,en
whofullpwtd the fishing business for liv-
ing and The protector af game
But the mn, rs Of she fishermen in the
southern part Of our Stale for better game
and fish laws will amount to nothing as
long arlihp North Jersey idea preauui,.at+s