Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-06-16
TEST Of FOOD [ D !. fish | !;
Danube Sturgeon to Be Imported
For Home Waters.
NATIVE VARIETY NEARLY GONE

United States Fish Commission Hopes
to Stock American Rivers With
Great Fish From Reumania-Min-
| lister Knowles Induced Roumanian
Government to Aid the Undertaking.
Commissioner Bowers of the United
States fish commission at Washington
has announced that there is strong
proba bility 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 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. ...v I.T =
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 &C.
credited to Nicaragua.
The pleasant relations Minister
Knowles enjoyed with the Roumanian
government enabled, him before leav-
ing Roumania to arrange with the
officials Of that country to send to the
United States q large quantity Of
Danube sturgeon fry; also several
large cans Of the fry of ssterlet, another
very valuable Danube fish. which il
considered the most delicious Of Ill
European fish. .>.:.,5:,.
Minister Knowles says he II 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,
Ia very prolific and hardy and will. II
properly protected until well started.
take the place Of not only shad. which
Il getting scarcer every year, but the
other fish. that are growing less plen-
,tiful. - 5 ...4s .%.-.a
These two Danube fish are particu-
larly valuable because they are not z
season fish like 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 Dish will give about 40
pounds Of caviare. and fresh caviare
sells In New York and the European
cities for from 81 to SO pound. r
= The caviare from the Danube stur-
geon is considered the finest b ths
world. Both the sturgeon and IT, ster-
let are most abundant 10 the Rouma,
MAN part Of the Danube. and In east
ern and southeastern Roumanla they
are the principal food Of. the people. .
Through the, arrangements made By
Minister Knowles there win be shipped
from Roumania large number OF
twenty gallon cans containing millions
Of young sturgeon and sterlet without
any expense to the United States these
cans Of fsh will be delivered at
Bremen or Hamburg to represents.
tive Of the United States fish COM
mission. who will take charge Of them
and bring them on one Of the fast ex-.
press steamers to New York. The
young Dish viii then, be sent to the
nearest hatchery and there viii be
cared for until they have Uncovered
from their 1000 mile voyage and are
In condition to be turned into the Hud-
son. Delaware. ,susquehanna and Pc
tomac rivers. - w.. 4
! The fish commission II deeply inter
ested in this experiment, and Il . the
opinion Of Commissioner Bowers that
the chances are decidedly IN favor Of
it's being successful. .7. s. rs. j ! ,''4.:;;
: Minister Knowles says:
There are few matters connected
with our. country's food supply moro
important than that Of our nsh produc-
ton. When 1t 10 considered that By
reason of, the increase sof our spopulA- |
a = i