The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-15
FISHERIES BOARD
in SESSION HERE
Winding Up Affairs Preparatory
to Turning Office Over to
Successor.
THE OYSTER DEPREDATIoNs
Draft Of Letter Which States the
Virginia Navy Has No
Jurisdiction.
The OYSTER DEPREDAT!oNs

Tie State Board OF Fisheries whose
tenure of office ends with the present
month, held a busy session here yes
tcrday All the members of the board
were present. These embrace DR.. j.
w. Bowdoln, chairman; Mr.. s. r.. Miller,
secretary; Senator George -. Keezell
Mr.. X. j. Cant and Mr.. III. NJ. Tyler
Tie session was devoted in large
measure to auditing accounts, prepara-
tory TO milking the final settlements
touching the affairs under the charge of
the board to lie turned over to the new
board. which. under appointment by Gov
ernor Swanson, will come into Office
March 1st. An adjourned session will he
held the 9th instant for closing up the
work and making Il final settlement.
The board received two applications
from Norfolk parties for five thousand
acres each of deep water planting
ground near Cape Henry. The grounds
applied for are contiguous to embrace
81 portion OF the ground where the crabs
hibernate in winter. Pending the crab
Legislation now before the General AS
sembly, the board felt that II was best
10 leave thise matter for consideration by
the new board after the General Assembly
shall have decided what crab legislation
shall be enacted. There Is grave doubt
expressed whether either of these two
applications Will be granted as the crab
industry which Is a large and important
ono. might be seriously affected ny such
a course.
The Mcssrs. Brown made applications
for reasonable time in which to move
10000 bushels of planted oysters and
SHELLS In Milford Haven, which they
claim have been lnnocentiy planted with
iii the Baylor survey. The board de-
termine dto make an investigation OF the
matter and will decide at the adjourned
meeting to he held ON the 9TH what
course shall be followed
Work of Oyster Navy.
The board drafted the following state
ment with reference To accounts given
by a special representative Of The Times
Dispatch of conditions existing in the
oyster waters of the Commonwealth and
the failure Of the Virginia oyster navy TO
keep out men from Maryland and others.
who are depredatng upon the. Virginia
ground.
Richmond. VA. Feb. Il. 1896.
Editor OF The Times-D Dispatch:
Sir.-Thcre appeared III The Times-Dis-
patch OF this date an article by your
special stan correspondent Mr.. Allan
Potts. containing grossly unjust reflec-
tions on the State Board OF Fisheries and
the oyster police service.
The writer seems ignorant as to our
States rights and jurisdiction In the Po-
tomac River. Investigation will show
That Haryland's ownership of the Poto-
mac River extends to high water mark.
on the Virginia shore. from prominent
headland 10 hcadlnnd, with the right
of concurrent jurisdiction over the
waters OF the Potomac Hence when
Maryland boats appear in these waters,
they cannot be deemed TO be invading
Virginia waters. nor could such boats
lr seized without creating serious COM
rlications between these States.
That the Maryland navy ''reentlessly
drives the Virginia boats to their own
side. is n startling and sur
presing statement to the board
and one they are utterly unable to credit
Were this the ease. some complaint
would have reached the board by the
prosecuted citizens. yet no such COM
paint has been heard or filed. 1t Is
true that violations Of the oyster laws,
both Of Maryland and Virginia have been
and are occurring in the Potomac. hut
these violations are fined by the authors
ties whenever caught, and in proof of
this, fines for violations in the Potomac
aggrega,ng $3.50 or 5000 have been
imposed by the Virginia oyster police
service and the inspectors within the
last two years.
Valuable Oyster Rock.
Virginia $ most valuable oyster rock
and beds lie in her rivers, particularly
In the James River, and 1t is in Virginias
own rivers and bays that the most dam
aging violations and depredations are
made hence, it is there that her police
force Is chiefly engaged. Virginin's oy-
ster navy, as is we'll known. is utterly
inadeqiatc to protect her vast area of
watcr-nor could this be done We're. the
navy three or four times as large-Hence
the board can only protect to the best OF
its flblity with its limited force. the
most important sections
The Virginia oyster police boats con-
sist of the steamer Accomac, with head
quarters at Urbanna, on the Rappahan-
mock River. and her special duty is to
police the waters OF that river and the
bay to Old Point. The steamer Kappa
hammock, with the special duty to police
the Potomac River and Tangier and
Pocomoke Sounds; the steamer James
River, with headquarters at Smithfie.u,
and whose special duty is to police James
River: and the schooner Pocomoke, stu