Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-09-04
Friday, September 4, 1908.
THE SCARCITY OF FISH.


1t is strange that intelligent
writer's and newspapers, whose
influence should count for some
thing throughout the State.
should Jump into a subject and
write at random without inform
ing themselves on the subject be-
ing dealt with. Such seems to
be the case with the Norfolk
Landmark and it's writer's, the
Times-Dispatch and a few lesser
lights in the State in theirlabors
to get at the bottom of the scar
city OF food fish. At first they
unreservedly dash the blame on
fertilizer works, believing, as ev-
1denced from the following excerpt
from the Times-Dispatch, these
works were supplied from the
pound-net or weir:
"The hog-fish and the spot. which
made the breakfast table of Virginia a
delight to all visitors and comfort and
lasting joy to all who lived near the
salt water. have practically been de-
stroyed. These fish did not die in the
noble cause of the frying pan; they
were annihilated by the mercenary fer
tilizing companies who, with spread
ing nets, have practically stripped the
waters of Virginia of all fish. ANY one
who will go up the Chesapeake Bay. or
MobJack Bay, or any of the tributar-
les, will see miles and miles of fish
nets. into whose engulfng maws the
eatable and UNBEATABLE swim together
to the fertilizer heap"
Is it possible that the I'D. is
no better informed on the indus
try than that? What fertilizer
works could operate ON the catch
oil a fewpound nets? to say moth
ing OF the high prices fish caught
In them could be sold for on the
market. Then if the pound nets
put their catch on the markets.
as most assuredly they do. kind
~ tell us in what cause they die
II not the ''noble" one OF the
Trying pam" Afterquoting the
foregoing with added remarks.
the Norfolk Landmark also
shows its lack OF knowledge on
the subject in the following:
We did not know that the pound-ne,
abuse was chargeable to the fertilize,
people. If the Dispatch is right
about that, the outrage is greater thar
We thought.
Further, in quoting Mr.. Wal.
Ter Sharp, OF Norfolk, of whom
one writer says ''there is no bet
ter man. to head commission
to rectify these troubles. the
Times-Dispatch says:
Another point is the coming
to Virginia waters of great horde of
Northern pirates who catch the men,
baden fish for fertilizer, carving them
off by the ship load and taking along
Whatever other fish may come into their
nets. The menhaden is a surface fish
which moves in great schools. 1t is re-
garded as practically useless save for
fertilizer. But it is the food of larger
hsh, and the devastation of our Virgin
Ia waters of this food fish is having its
result on the supply of bluefish and
trout, as well as other saltwater fish. y
Surely a knowledge of Vir-
glnla 8 laws is not one of Mr..
Sharps qualifications, nor are
we led to believehe has given the
subject personal attention from
other statements which are taken
up and clearly answered by Can.
tain j. f. Bussells, of Norfolk
which we take from the Land.
mark OF Sunday and herewith
given in full:
ITO the Editor of the Landmark. Sir
l have been asked by parties interested
and with your permission will make /,
statement as brief as possible, givins
the facts in the case of the conditio,
OF the fish industry of the State of Vir
ginia IN regards to purse nets abou
which your paper had quite length,
piece in yesterday. written by frien,
from Portsmouth.
Our Portsmouth friend stated tina
there were one hundred fish steamer
on Chesapeake bay devouring the foo
fish. This most emphatically contra
diet. There are thirty-five in place O
the one hundred, and each steamer paw
a tax to the State of 500 for the priv
iege of catching menhaden fish to b
manufactured into guano and oil. Their
are over 81, 0O0, coo invested in this busi
ness inthe State of Virginia, and accord
ing to the laws of the State no one ha
right to enter into or to own stock 70
the catching and manufacturing ifs
into guano and oil in the State of Viz
ginia except the residents of said State
In addition to this investment there ar
over 1000 people employed in this in