Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-07-20
FISH AND OYSTER NOTES

The next meeting of the board of
hsnerles will be held in Hampton. july
25th.
one OF the largest man-eating sharks
ever seen in this vicinity has been
captured in the fish Seine in the waters
Oh the lower Chesapeake Bay. 1t was
a vicious looking monster, measuring
eight feet in length. Old fishermen
ray that it was the most dangerous type
OF shark, and that the like of it has
been seldom seen about here.
The State Board of Fisheries has hi,
upon aplan which will solve the problem
OF adequately protecting the oyster
rocks in the James river from depreda-
tons during the closed season. The
plan contemplates the stationing of
sailing vessels, provided with armed
guards, on the rocks during such months
as the depredations have been wont to
occur In. Thanks to the cooperation
OF planters who have offered to donate
the use of their vessels for the purpose.
the plan will be carried into effect at
once. That it will prove successful and
OF great benefit to the oyster industry
in the James river section there IS
every reason for believing. The whole
sale depredations upon the natural rocks
OF the State during the closed season
which have been going on for years
have ~been impossible of prevention
because OF the inadequacy of the police
force maintained by the State for the
purpose. To expect the oyster navy.
even with the recent additions which
nave been made to it, to effectively
patrol the extensive territory which it
IS called upon to cover is to ask of it
what no navy of its size can or should
be expected to do. Chairman Lee
recognizes this when he proposes to
furnish additional police protection for
the James river rocks. This protection.
however, is only temporary and local.
1t IS solely for the rocks in one locality
and only for this year. What is the
State going to do towards making this
protection permanent and extending it
to all natural rocks within the waters
OF the commonwealth, wherever located?
That adequate protection must be fur
nished and that shortly, if we are not
going to allow the rocks to become
depleted altogether and the oyster in
dustry, one of the most important in
the State, totally destroyed, is too
obvious to admit Of argument. Already
the depletion is such as to give ground
for serious apprehension lest the injury
already done is beyond repair. This is
true In greater or less degree of the
rocks In every locality in the State. To
allow this industry to be destroyed or to
suffer irreparable injury would be not
only to deprive those men of their means
OF livelihood but to detract from the
of the section and State. The
State can not afford to allow this to
happen. 1t must protect and preserve
its natural rocks and thereby its oyster
industry. Such protection may prove
expensive and result in decreasing the
oyster revenue of the State, but Vir-
sinla can better afford to spend every
'ent of revenue collected by the Board
II Fisheries in fostering and preserving
ne industry over which it has super
'ision than to permit that industry to
'e destroyed The return from in
reased prosperity and increased value
n the Tidewater section would COM
'ensate many times over for the loss
direct revenue from this source. To
'ersist in valueing the direct revenue
rom the oyster industry more highly
han the preservation of the industry
tseif Is to sacrifice the dollars of the
uture for the pennies of the present.
Norfolk virginian-Pilot.