Evening star., 1907-10-26
FOR FISH PROTECTION
Movement to Have Govern
ment Control State Fisheries.
INLAND WATERS DEPLETED
Lack of Interstate Control Threatens
Extinction.
POTOMAC A GOOD FIELD
Fish Commission Could Experiment
in Propagation and Care of Bass,
shad and Oysters.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
According to dispatches from Wash
| ington there is an energetic movement In
| favor of asking various states to place
the protection of the fisheries Of inter-
| state waters, and the fostering ,a1o,
| propagation of food fish In such waters,
In the hands of the federal bureau OF
| fisheries. 1t is urged in favor of this
plan that fish, which should be the cheap
est and most abundant of food, is threat
ened with extinction in many Of the in
ternal waters of the country and in the
great lakes be cause Of the absence Of con-
current action ~ the several states which
share control OF the same water. A
most valuable industry of this state is
the shad fisheries of the Susquehanna
and but for the aid of the federal gov
ernment it is believed that shad would
now be almost extinct in that great river
Shad come in from the bay to go to the
upper waters Of the Susauehanna In
Pennsylvania to spawn. But on their way
UP they encounter the nets of the Havre
de Grace fishermen and 1t is believed that
there would now be no shad in the river
but for the shoals of young fry Matched
by the federal fish commission and put
into the water.
A most interesting field for operations
by. the United States fish commission
would be the Potomac river close at
hand, especially if the propagation and
protection of shellfsh could be included
The upper Potomac from the first foun-
tain to the District of Columbia Is
magnificent bass stream. If these fish
were under federal protection the num-
bers would greatly increase and in pro-
tecting fish from pollutions of the water
the water supply of Washington would
be benefited. Below Washington TIA
Potomac fisheries Of shad herring and
other salt water fish are among the most
noted and valuable in the whole land
The lower Potomac Is also one of the
dnest oyster-producing waters in the
world. But its oyster bottoms have be-
come almost barren and unproductive
for the lack Of proper legislation. Oyster
laws for the Potomac have been impos-
sible because such legislation requires
the concurrent action OF the legisla-
lures of Maryland and Virginia, and
agreement has always failed and always
will fail. If the states Of Maryland, Vfr-
kgfnia and West Virginia could agree to
put the fisheries of the river under the
protection and control of the federal au-
thOrities, for the exclusive use and bene-
fit of the citizens of the three states and of
the District of Columbia as to that part
which Is within the District. 1t might
solve the difficulty and result in an enor-
nous increase in the output of food from
commission such an experiment station
and awning ground as no other body of
water in the United States can equal.
Maryland Territory.
The Potomac river up to low-water
mark on the Virginia bank is entirely
Maryland territory and within the
boundaries of this state. The control of
the fisheries of the river belonged
exclusively to this state. as much
so as the control of the Patuxent
or the Chester. This state in the
celebrated compact of 1855 surren-
dered that exclusive control and benefit
by granting to Virginia equal rights in
the fisheries and concurrent jurisdiction
over them. No law of the state of Mary
land can affect or protect the fish or
oysters in the Potomac without the con-
current action Of the legislature Of Vir-
ginia. The result has been the de-
structlon of the oyster industry For
this valuable and magnificent conces-
sion Maryland Is receiving no return
benefit from Virginia.
Virginia Loses Control.
About two years after the ratification of
this treaty the Constitution of the United
States was adopted. The instrument de-
prived Virginia of all control over the
rights she had ceded to Maryland. name
ly, the navigation of the Chesapeake and
the impost duties: but the main conces-
sion made by Maryland, namely the COM