Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-09-08
THE MENHADEN FISHERIES,
tFrom IIaltlmoro Amcrlca,

ffom baltimore Amcrican)
Ia recent years this business hal
shown healthy expansion, aud tn,
small schooners of past years hay,
been largely replaced by powerful
ocean-going steamers, able TO cros
the Atlantic. A new feature of the
business thisseason was the unusuall,
early opening Of the factories. This
was done to handle herring caugh,
IN excess of the ability of the mar.
kets to handle. 10 former years
when too many herring were caugh
Tor the fresh market and too many
to pack them in barrels after havine
been salted, the balance were eithel
thrown overheard or left on the
shores to endanger health and create
bad smell. 1t is now planned 10
turn such waste herring into oil and
fertilizer, and the factories opened
early for that purpose.
In the ocean the season begins
April 1st, and the vessels follow the
tish up the coast as far as VINEYARD
Haven and then back again in the
fall, when they are then off Cape
Lookout, North Corolina. In the
Chesapeake Bay proper the season
begins May 18th and ends about
November 10Th.
IN the Chesapeake Bay there are
engaged in the business IL factories.
employing 80 steamers. About 1 600
men find employment IN the facto-
ries and about l 900 on the steamers.
The only factory in Maryland is at
Cris6eld, the other 10 being located
on the various creeks of Virginia.
All the menhaden are caught in
nets. The fish bunch in schools and
are seen breaking the water by the
lookout in the crows nest-a plat.
form built on the foremast of the
steamer. Purse nets from 100 to $50
fathoms in length and about 900
meshes deep are used. When q school
is sighted they are surrounded by
two big purse boats aud one striker
boat aud the net is baled of its liy-
ing contents to the hold of the
steamer.
The fish are made into oil and
high-grade fertilizer. The OIL finds
a ready market abroad and in this
country and the fertilizer is sold
domestically.
Much Baltimore capital is in.
vested In the business and many fine
steamers are owned here. The ex-
pense is very heavy, because of the
wages, coal consumption, nets, sup
plies add the keeping up of the
vessels. The factories distribute
much money in their localities and
much is spent in this port and at
Norfolk.
Those Interested in the factory
vehemently deny the charge that
vast quantities of food fish are
mixed in with the menhaden at the
factories. Very few food fish are
caught; in fact, not enough, as a
rule, to supply the table, and when
any are caught they are not wasted,
said man interested in the indus.
try, Should more food fish be caught
than what the crew can eat they are
marketed as food fish either at Nor.
folk or Cape Charles, Va. However,
this is rare case. The usual con.
ditions are that the factories have TO
buy hsh from local fishermen who
make it their business to catch food
tlsh in traps to supply the tables at
the factories and aboard the steam
ers.
The impression that food fish is
manufactured into fertilizer is eiro-
neous. The reason this is not done
can easily be explained. Food fish
range in price from 3 cents to 10 per
pound, and supposing that 2,0O0
pounds OF food fish should be caught,
averaging them at cents per pound,
the factory would realize $lOO for
same. Should the factory convert
them into fertilizer they could not
realize more than So or $S for the
same amount of fish, and would have
to pay out of that amount the ex-
pense of manufacturing.
The fishing interest was consider
ably injured last year oy the target
practice of the United States navy
in the lower Chesapeake Bay, and it
is understood that the fishermen
have taken this matter up with the
Government, so as to stop this prac-
tice if possible. The damage done
to the fishing interest was very heavy.