Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-01-18
Annual Report of the State Board OF
Fisheries.

Annual Report of the State Board OF
Fisheries.
The annual report of the State
Board of Fisheries made to the GOV
ernor has just made its appearance
from the press This report is inc
first to 90 deeply into the various
phases of the fishing and Clustering
industries of the Chesapeake. Ills OF
thirty-four pages printed matter WIN
twenty illustrations.
The chief topics treated OF In the
report follow; noo ooo 20.
expenditures, 1913, III Of. Net cash
profit to the State, S66, 81 55, or three
dollars for one. Increase in recelpts
over last year, S25, 1853 rs In the ten
wears, during the existence of BOARD
of Fisheries, the State has realized
direct net revenue OF aoout S4oo,voV
AN appeal for larger appropriation
and for fewer and more eHecUlVe
laws.
4 contrast drawn between our
States management of its water III
dustries and those States north OF us
as well as south of us-showlng our
natural advantages to be greater, but
| i'm most respects our policies TO De
weaker.
The natural rocks under rigid po-
llicing are recuperating, but ooth
planting and longing interests as
well as fish, crabs and clans, neeo
attention and legislation. The ocean
side. James river and Potomac river
7 articularly, call for immediate leg
latiOn.
The boats-steam, sail and gaso-
Ihne-of the police fleet have oeeh
doing good work, but more are need
led. Including the seaside counties
they have, with the inspector force
L. 500 square miles Of tidal waters &c
patrol-equal, by the way, to strip
more than a mile wide extending
from Maine to California. Virginia's
producing water bottoms exceed any
in the United States. a comparison
with Maryland shows our fleet th'
smaller, fisheries expenditures less
Than one-half and receipts more thal
double.
The board has never been able t(
rent An office, for lack of funds, az
required to do by law, and its coilec
lions and specimens are lily care'
for. Louisiana. while not yet IN ad
vance of Virginia, carried OH th'
prizes for oysters at the jamestown
Exposition because the Virginia boar'
lhad no funds wherewith to make al
exhibit.
? The Chesapeake Bay and seaside
{ oyster is shown to be in demand be
, cause entirely healthful, no pollu
ton pouring into our wat RS. Enc
= mics to the oyster are not found her'
in abundance as elsewhere. IN
Chesapeake stands in class to itself
Vigilance of the police have drlvei
4 many lawless workers fir. m the rocks
+ but gasoline boats are giving MIC
trouble because of easy escape. IN
season for longing is recommended I
? be from October l to April l. IN
: season for dredging fir m January
o to June l. The shiftless negro tonge
who resides here only during the oys
ter season, and then goes North, shout
be kept off the puOlic rocks.
4 The zig-zag Baylor lines in tn
! James river should De made straigt
ter, for better policing The BayIo
lines should be re-run by piece-mes
= and permanently marked. Some bo'
t toms in MObjack bay and on the sea
8 side should be let out for seed pun
poses. Unless seed can be procure
J. more readily than now many intel
e ests will suffer. A seed line, as
= the James, should be established
d. the Potomac. Scrapes, and not dreC
yes. should be permitted in that live
; The shocking or opening of oyster
y has grown tremendously, but is lu
). now at a standstill because of insult
h cient laws in regard to seed an
plants.
e Grabbing should not be restricted
e but should pay a good tax. Clan
l. should be culled, and also a tax Il
their taking. Both of these industrl'
have grown rapidly.
u A Gull law should be required IL
fishing. The small fish, or "tra
fish" should be thrown back aliv
Heavy penalties should be provide
d for undue destruction of food fish. III
Is Menhaden fisheries, or fertilizer WORK
% represent a million and a quarter
b dollars investment, with an annu
y output of nearly a million dollar
a The pound-net fisheries are just
g. great.
Among the relief measures, ii
10 board will advise that the white tong
r. be granted grounds for depOsiting b
lie ca, CHI so as not to be forced into che;
,e markets, and that the tax on plant'
GO oysters and shells be abolished ana
% tax on sales substituted.
s. Besides being prOfusely illustrate
in a number of tables appear in the
" port, showing that $4,000 persons
70 actively engaged in the fish and oy
~ ter industries, the revenues by cou
IL ties and itemlzed returns of the nj
in inspectors In all, the people OF '
If ginia derive now between Sl2, OOO,C
and S15,OOOO 900 annually from o
water bottoms.