Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-08-31
FISH and OYSTER NOTES


Continual rains of the summer win
probably kill off the seed beds in the
upper James and Potomac and damage
planted oysters no little in other rivers.
Hundreds of Maryland crabbers have
been giving the Virginia police trouble
by depredations across the line in Tan
gier and Pocomoke sounds. The guns
OF the Virginia police have invariably
succeeded in driving the depredators
back, but with much trouble and risk
to life. Ten days ago two boats and
crews were captured, and last week two
more. The former were fined; the last
captures gave bail and forfeited their
craft.
Captain Hudgins, commander of the
State steamer Rappahannock, with
headquarters at Colonial Beach, reports
much success on the Potomac River in
driving out the violaters. He said he
had, with the assistance of the oyster
inspectors, driven most all of the Mary.
land violators to their homes, and that
now the waters of the Potomac and its
tributaries are as ''peaceable" as the
still hours of the night. During
the past four months the entire oyster
navy, aided by lay boats and their
crews, as well as the Chairman and Sec
rotary of the Board of Fisheries, have
kept constantly on the alert, and have
not left wheel unturned in doing
justice to the violators of the oyster
laws of the State. The Rappahannock
river has never been a sea of warfare
in the enforcement of the oyster laws.
so much as the other waters of the
State which TEEN with the biyalye:
yet there has been need for active SER
vice along its line too, and those placed
In charge have not been slow to see
their duty and to perform it. In a
nutshell, there has been a revolution
along this line throughout the oyster
sections of the State. -Times-Dispatch.
POTOMAC OYSTER QUESTION.
The Virginia Board of Fisheries and
the Maryland Shell Fish Commission
met in consultation Friday last at St.
Georges Island, Md, the former po-
ing there from Irvington on the flag
ship Emeline and the Marylanders COM
ing down from Annapolis on the Gov
ernor Thomas. The two bodies. not
being legislative ones, could take steps
only towards concert of action in en-
forcing laws upon the Potomac. They
will meet from time TO time to discuss
and formulate recommendations to be
made to coming legislatures of the two
States.
1t was determined to break I'D. SO
far as possible, the "shoveling by
methods on the Potomac during the
oyster season, and $50 was set as the
minimum fine for this to be accepted
by police and inspectors. In Virginia
waters, for unpicked stock the mimi
mum fine will be SIS. and higher ac-
cording to capacity of vessel.
The Maryland and Virginia bodies
met in good fellowship and will work in
harmony and with zeal towards better
laws and more rigid enforcement in the
neutral waters.
OYSTER LONGING LAW.
The Maryland and Virginia oyster
longing (patent and ordinary tongs)
season in the Potomac opens tomorrow.
September LIST. The dredging season
there begins October Is. The ordinary
tong season in other parts of Virginia
begins Sept. Is. Patent tongs can be
used in all Virginia waters except the
James, Nansemond, East and Pianka-
tank rivers during the months of Oc-
tober, November and December.
License for patent tongs is SIS, in addi-
ton to 81 for ordinary tongs.
Following is the law as amended by
the last legislature in reference to
longing.
thereafter it shall not be lawful for any
person to take or catch oysters from snv of
the natural oyster rocks, beds aud shoals. ar,
any or the waters OF this Commonwealth:
with tongs. or In any other way, from the first
day of April until the fifteenth day of SEN
tember of each year. ssss or at any time
except during the months OF October. Noyem-
Der and December. to use or employ patent
longs for the purpose OF taking or catching
oysters or shells from the natural rocks he'd,
or1shoals or the State. And IL any person he
found upon the natural rocks, beds or shoals
or this Commonwealth during the prohibited
season, or during the night time of the omen
season with tongs, or other devices for Tn king
or catching oysters, the same shall be prima
facie evidence of the violation of this act nv
the person so found therein: provided. this
section shall not be construed as permitting
tho use OF patent tongs in the waters of the
James, Nansemond. East or Piankatank rivers.
Any person violating the provisions of this
act shall. upon conviction thereof, be fined
not less than twenty-five dollars nor more
tnan one hundred dollars. and be confined I'm
JAIL not less than ten days nor more than
SIX months, either or both. In the discretion
of the jury. or of the justice or court trying
tine case, IL IL shall be tried without Jury. I"
From Norfolk virginian-PilotJ
The '-r" months are near at hand and
very soon the oyster season will begin.
The luscious bivalves will soon begin
arriving in large quantities.
In former years the state oyster navy
has been greatly handicapped in its
light against the pirates and poachers
by reason of short force and vessels.
the territory to be covered being en-
tirely too large for the small fleet to
traverse. The result has been that the
beds have been almost depleted.
The great complaint has been that
the young oysters were not given a
chance to nature brf xzara +oL,,> = er ~