The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-04-08
4 SHADOW ON
OUR LIVES
Horrible Rumor Says That
the Tooths0me shad Is
Rapidly Going the
Way Of Sturgeon
IT is NOT TRE RIGHT ROAD
River Fishermen Are Alarmed
Over the Prospect That
the Bony Delicacy May
Disappear

Unless something is done. and that
very quickly, too, either by the State or
National Government towards the pres
ervation Of the shad fishing industry in
the Delaware River, the toothsome shad
viii soon meet the fate Of the valuable
sturgeon and become as nearly extinct
and the workingmen living along the
banks Of the river will be deprived Of
their greatest source Of revenue" said an
old river fisherman.
THE fishermen viii not be the only
ones to suffer, for there is not business
house, standing within miles Of the river
on either side, but what will keenly feel
the loss. The sturgeon fishing industry,
which few years ago brought thous-
ands and thousands Of dollars to our
fishermen and through the ordinary cham
nels of trade circulated to the business
houses of our county and State, is now
almost thing Of the past. and our best
fishermen agree that shad fishing is rap
idly following in its footsteps.
Each spring during the past Eve
Years the catch of shad has decreased
greatly. In the spring Of 1898 the catch
was very large. One thousand and over
We're caught to boat in one week. You
will gain some idea of the decrease in
numbers since then when we say that
spring our most successful fishermen
only eaught three thousand during the
entire spring Having consulted boat
men who carry shad to the markets and
many of the fishermen, we learn that
during the last three years the number Of
shad caught has decreased about one
third. Had it not been for the remark
able price paid for shad during that time
very few fishermen would have made
sufficient moey to pay for their nets.
Should shad become extinct ON the Della
ware it would practically ruin some of
the towns along its shores. Take the lit
tie town Of Pennsville, for instance. As
shad fishing town it stands at the head
OF all the others along tile river. There
are more fishermen there than at any
other place and within a radius Of ten
miles lies the best shad fishing grounds
this side of the mouth of the Capes. The
fishermen are prosperous, many, if not
majority, own their own homes, have
money invested in the business by the
little sum in bank. They can live cheap
er there than at most towns along the,
river; the two general store are doing a
very large business and the other bust
ness houses are prosperous. Take the
shad fishing industry away from there
and Pennsville would be one Of the big
gest failures on the face of the map.
ITO give you an idea of the amount of
money invested in their business BY tie
fisherman. we would say that when he
gets ready to put his net overheard. he
has, with his new snap shot. (which is
the name applied to a gasoline launch1
net and all complete, about five hundred
dollars invested
Captain Elwell. who has the shad line
from Pennsyille to Philadelphia, informs
us that about seventy.tive nets support
his line from Pennsville and the jetty
tabout three miles belowl. Besides this
two lines made daily trips to New Castle
where the shad are shipped to New York.
while another boat makes daily trips
from Pennsville and Church Landing 10
Wilmington. SO it is possible TO count
up a hundred nets who patronize the diff
ferent lines. You can easily figure that
a large amount of money is invested IN
the business. OF course there are some
who have not vet taken on the extra exs
pense Of snap shot, but they are few.
The snap shot has become a necessity
in the shad fishing, for on account Of the
vast number Of nets now ii the business.