Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-11-06

with the nature OF some birds, return
to their old haunts, usually the waters
where spawned. With such fish it is
wise to study what may prevent this
homing instinct from being carried out:
and this should be an object of peoples
and states depending much upon sea-
foods.
'There are other fish, like the
medium sized rock fish of Virginia bay
and rivers, that are not of migrating
habit, and it is not difficult to exter-
inmate them, or at least diminish the
supply. With such fish there should be
proper restrictions as to the taking,
but with the others. the large majority,
we can best keep up the supply by not
driving them particularly the gravid
mother) from our waters, at the same
time seeking to prevent the eggs and
small fish being taken or destroyed.
''Seine hauls at the head of Tidewater
on the spawning grounds are very de-
structive to the roe, and should receive
serious consideration at the hands of
legislators. Hauls elsewhere should be
restricted by regulating the size of
mesh, and maybe by culling, also,
Pounds and some other nets would
be less damaging if raised in certain
seasons. Possibly Ia orr 1-2 inch mesh,
instead of Pinch, would be beneficial,
but it should be first demonstrated what
size fish and how many would gill and
die in the larger meshes before a de-
cision is reached.
eff possible to carry it out, a Gull
law might regulate the minimum size of
certain fishes to be taken, all under
the prescribed size to be returned TO
the water alive. The purse-net mesh
should be no larger than necessary to
hold the menhaden without gilling, say
l Sd stretched mesh. Sturgeon nets
need regulating as bad as seines, and
the other classes of net should all be
maturely considered.
"While somewhat appalling in walk
ing along our shores at certain seasons
to see the tons Of roe and the millions
of little fish cast up to die by nets and
fishermen, this is but as drop in the
bucket; nevertheless, as every little bit
helps, we should try to save this DROP
But the greater cause, that of driving
away our fishes. should be more vitally
considered. Neither science nor practical
experience has fully demonstrated what
does and what does not keep away
the fish from their usual haunts,
and speculation for the most part
is all that is left US, each scientist
and practitioner having one or more
views of his own.
''In some of these, applicable to Vir-
ginia, it strikes me there is good ground
for belief that they effect our fish
supply.
THE FIRING OF BIG GUNS.
"As to the shooting of big guns, /
have no opinion upon the effect. We
know that heavy conclusions kill or
stun fish in the immediate vicinity, and
for how far in the water it is obnoxious
to the others l do not know. 1 do
not doubt that if a school of
the ferocious blues were making for
our capes and fleet of war
ships began booming their great guns
close by it would steer the blue-fish for
deep waters, and they would pass us by.
On the same assumption, with more
positiveness, if school of shad, men
haden. spot or such timid fish were
pointed for our capes and school of
blues, mackerel or weak-fish were In
shore of them the inoffensive food-fsh
would make for outshore and pass on by.
Such an incident as this has been
seen time and again with the fisher
mans eye. 1t is no mere speculation
that the blue, the mackerel, the dog
fish and such carniverous fellows have
much to do with shaping the course of
timid fish into or away from local
waters.
''BLUES" NOT so PLENTIFUL NOW.
''Blues and mackerel were more
plentiful here in times past, but it was
not the catching of these by Virginians
that keep them out of our bay. More
of these species are on the markets of
the United States each season than
years ago. The supply does not per-
ceptibly diminish, but we in Virginia
do not get them. What, then, is the
cause? 1t can hardly be the extinction
of their prey, for the records show that
each year, or series of years, more
menhaden are caught in Virginia as well
as in the north.
''The only likely explanation / have
heard is given by the Buckroe blue
fishermen. They say that when the
northern smacks were permitted to fish
for blues and mackerel within the capes
we had plenty of these fish. The tolling,
or batting. by the smacks brought them
in. Now they are kept at sea by the
bait of the ostracized smacks. This
bait, as is well known, is ground men,
haden chiefly, scattered upon the water.
The ferocious fellows hang around, and
when the hooks with bigger pieces of
bait are thrown into the Slick the blue
or mackerel snaps it greedily.
MUD DREDGES DESTROY FEEDING
GROUNDS.
"Food has more to do with fish haunts
We know than any other one item. II