The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-04-08

1888 was exceptionally prolific. shad be-
ing very plentiful and cheap. and the
United States Matching steamer Fish
Hawk stationed at Gloucester, had no
trouble in collecting eggs. Between April
y and May 81 of that spring a, 7,9T5 fry
We're hatehed and planted, which to-
gether with the other stations on the
Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers made
total Matching that spring Of 241 $50,
600 shad, With such a vast assistance
to nature it would seem that there was
no such thing as catching them out. In
his report the United States Fish Com
missioner gives Salem County the credit
IF catching one-half Of the catch Of the
entire State. and this. to our mind. is
more convincing than anything else Of the
Importance of the industry TO Salem
County. Still another interesting item
in his report is that during the spring of
1898 Salem County fsherme6 caught
1.376S50 shad. the value Of which was
S133,394. Think of that amount for Sa-
lem County in one spring. Isn't the IN
dustry worth looking after and taking
care Of?
Every summer since we can remem-
Der large schools containing thousands
upon thousands of young shad. measur-
ing from one to three inches IN length,
could be seen close in along the river
shore, making their way down stream
toward the ocean. For the last few
summers these schools have not been so
noticeable, but further up stream thou
sands upon thousands of these young
shad can be seen every summer lying
dead along the river shore. Only last
summer, up around Carney's Point
tabout three miles above PennsviIle)' we
are told that these young shad were "
ing dead in winrows all along the shore.
What is the matter with the water, that
the natural shad viii not come into it
as they once did, and that it viii cause
death to those tender young ones?
"A few vars ago our fishermen would
take a live car. in which hundreds of live
carp were confined, tow it to Philadelphia
behind snap shot, make it fast at Dock
street wharf and let it remain there un-
til the fish were disposed of. Then the
fish We're taken out alive and in good
condition. Carp must be alive to be
saleablel. Should this be done now most
Of the fish would be found dead when
the car was opened. The car is now
towed over under the Jersey shore. where
the fish can have the benefit of the.
water which comes from the creeks or
open meadows, while the fishermen go
over to Dock street and find sale for
the fish. Then the car is taken over and
Immediately unloaded. Carp will live
longer out of water than around the
docks Of Fhiladelphia. If this is 50 of
carp, what about the more delicate
shad?
For no fish in our waters has the
vitality of the carp. 1t will live all day
even longer out of water if placed in the
shade, and the tenacity with which it
hangs on to life is remarkable But
even this, the strongest of all our fish.
will soon succumb to the polluted waters
of the upper Delaware. This is the eoncen-
sus of opinion among our fishermen. that
the reason shad do not come up the river
in greater numbers and the cause of the
death Of so many thousands of young, is
on account of the polluted water. Ac-
cording to the report of the United States
Fish Commissioner during the spring Of
49, New Jersey fishermen caught 2.I49.-
T23 shad. which was T9.20T less than
the preceding spring Of ~. Yet in the
spring Of '9S, as before stated. the hatch
ing station at Gloucester hatched our
47,975.0o0 shad or 70, ,225,2T7 more than
were caught the same spring By New
Jersey fishermen. When we remember
that this artificial Matching is but drop
in the bucket as compared with the nate
ural process. it removes any idea of
catching them out. and that We must
look elsewhere for the great decrease
II the numbers.
As 10 the remedy. well, its up to
someone else to find ont Laws govern
ing the size Of nets. or the number of
hours to be fshed in each twenty-four,
or taking off 4 day II each week. viii
never be of any benefit whatever. The
water is what wants protection. and
the fish. If some means can be devised
which will protect the river from being
polluted BY the factories, chemical and
dye works along the river. then you Will
sfax4 fannd flsa Eax. and c,,ad win Ia 4 :