Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-06-16
TEST OF FOOD FISH.
Danube Sturgeon to Be imported
For Home Waters.
NATIVE VARIETY NEARLY GONE

lister Knowles Induced Roumanian
Government to Aid the Undertaking.
Commissioner Bowers OF the United
States fish commission at Washington
has announced that there is a strong
probability that the famous Danube
sturgeon will be successfully intro
duced in the waters of the United
States.
Until a few years ago the rivers and
bays Of the middle Atlantic states con-
tanned great quantities Of sturgeon.
but because of inadequate laws for
their protection and the ruthless man.
ner Of fishing for them that valuable
fish has been practically exterminated.
The fish commission has made dill
gent efforts TO save the sturgeon and
has had its experts on the Delaware,
where the sturgeon was once most
abundant and other waters where they
were formerly found in an effort to
catch a male and a female in order
that the eggs might be taken and
Matched Notwithstanding their ear
nest efforts and the expenditure of not
less than $1,000 year for three years
for that purpose they were unsuccess-
full.
The announcement of Commissioners
Bowers that it is probable American
waters may again TEEN with sturgeon
has been made possible by the coop
Grafton of Horace G. Knowles, until
recently the American minister to Rou-
mania, Servia and Bulgaria, now ac-
credited to Nicaragua.
The pleasant relations Minister
Knowles enjoyed with the Ronmanian
government enabled him before leav-
ing Roumania to arrange with the
officials of that country to send to the
United States a large quantity OF
Danube sturgeon fry; also several
large cans of the fry of sterlet, another
very valuable Danube fish. which is
considered the most delicious Of all
European fish.
Minister Knowles says he is inter
ested in the introduction of these two
important food fish to American wa
tiers because his investigations con-
vince him they will thrive in the
United States The sterlet, he says,
is very prolific and hardy and will, il
properly protected until we'll started,
take the place of not only shad. which
is getting scarcer every year. but the
other fish that are growing less plen-
tiful.
These two Danube fish are particu-
llrly valuable because they are not a
season fish ike the shad, but run in
the waters of their habitat throughout
the year. The Danube sturgeon grows
to enormous size and weight. and 600
to 500 pound fish are frequently caught
An 800 pound fish will give about 80
pounds of caviare. and fresh caviare
sells in New York and the European
cities for from 81 to SO a pound.
The caviare from the Danube stur-
geon is considered the finest in the
world Both the sturgeon and the ster-
let are most abundant in the Rouma-
MAN part of the Danube. and in east
ern and southeastern Roumania they
are the principal food of the people.
Through the arrangements made by
Minister Knowles there will be shipped
from Roumania a large number OF
twenty gallon cans containing millions
of young sturgeon and sterlet. Without
any expense to the United States these
cans of fish will be delivered at
Bremen or Hamburg to a representa-
tive of the United States fish COM
ill foly oh of fnnrl
and bring them on ore of the fast ex-
press steamers to New York. The
young fish will then be sent to the
nearest hatchery and there will be
cared for until they have recovered
from their 1000 mile voyage and, are
in condition to be turned into the Hud-
son. Delaware, SusQuehanna and Po-
tOmac rivers.
The fish commission is deeply inter-
essed in this experiment. and it is the
opinion of Commissioner Bowers that
the chances are decidedly in favor Of
its being successful.
Minister Knowles says:
There are few matters connected
with our country's food supply more
important than that of our fish produc-
ton. When it is considered that by
reason Of the increase of our popula-
ton the demand is increased and that
with the gradual and constant falling
off of the catch of all kinds OF fish
the supply is lessened. it IS one of the
serious problems that confront our
country. A plentiful supply of fish
during all seasons of the year is one
Of the greatest blessings our or any
country can have.
Meats cannot sell for high prices
when fish is plentiful and cheap. The
best and surest protection the people
can have against the meat ust is to
have a certain and abundaT supply OF
fish. 1t is a great economical question,
and 1t is no wonder our government
IS giving such serious attention to it.
$50 many and vast are our waters