The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-05-06
STOKES DISCUSSES
OYSTER INDUSTRY
OF NEW JERSEY
Tells of Great Wealth, Produced
at Shell-fsh Commission
Meeting.
1000 EMPLOYED IN
GATHERING BIyALvES
Estimated that State Gets About
$6,000,O 900 a Year from
Sea Food.

In an address before the members of
the National Association of Shell-ish
Commissioners. who assembled yester-
day In the Aquarium, New York city,
in their first convention. former Gov
ernor 3. c.. Stokes outlined the she'll
fish resources and culture Of this State.
His subject was What New Jersey
Has Done for the Oyster Industry"
He said in part:
A rough estimate Of the lands of the
State under tidal waters available for
oyster culture Is about 36G. 900 acres. OF
this there are about 207. 900 acres in Della
ware Bay and Maurice River Cove, $1,000
acres In Raritan Bay and 123,O00 acres in
: other bays, rivers, creeks and channel
Of the coast. OF this large area available
for the propagation of oysters it Is doubt
full II more than 10 per cent. Is now used
as seed ground and another 10 per cent.
as planting ground.
Actual statistics as to the value OF the
oyster industry of New Jersey are not
available. The Government report makes
the value of the output about 81. 100000.
The COMMISSIONS of Shell Fisheries of
our State the value at nearly
The commission for the investigation of
the oyster industry in New Jersey in 1872
made careful INQUIRIES in ever. section
" - VI " '. RAVo t 49,
clusi0n was that a fair estimate of the
value Of the oyster product is from s.. "a.
600 to 100000 per year. nearly two-thirds
of which comes from Delaware Bay and
Maurice River Cove.
Better Thar wheat.
Compare this with the wheat crop OF
the State, which, according to the census
Of 1900, was worth $1S4l; $50; the oats crop.
1892 34l and rye, ,$442,44e. or a topl Of
are Of less value annually than is a single
shell fishery of the State. The nnuai
output of oysters alone in Delaware Bay
and Maurice River Cove Is Of greater
valne than the three cereals combined.
The oyster business has had the same
history as nave. all enterprises connected
with the gathering of natural wealth.
Men have always been eager to secure the
largest possible amount OF natures nat
ural stores. and in their greed they have
too often destroyed the sources of repro
duction and supply. In some sections of
the State, where the. natural beds lie oare
at low water, the bottoms have been so
thoroughly. tonged and dredged, that four
to six feet of water has supplanted the
natural seed grounds.
There is another chapter in this story.
There were bitter controversies among
the oystermen themselves, and to this
was added the depredations of thieves.
The oyster industry became precarious
and uncertain. Under such conditions it
worth OF oysters in the bottom of the bay
with a possibility hat the entire. PLAINTIFF
might be covered up with sands due 10
storms. or that part Of it might be car
ried away.
The restriction of the seasons for the
taking of oysters from the natural beds
was one of the early means of checking
the destruction. Wise as was this meas
ure 1t melted the PLANTER to devise means
for acquiring the same amount of spoil
in a short time as he had formerly ac-
quired in a longer PERIOD and the destrIc-
ton of the seed beds went on with as
great rapacity as before. In 1898 another
protective measure was devised. The
s'rough Gull" law compels the gatherer of
the seed to throw back from the beds all
the shells and refuse matter to form a
natural bottom upon which the oyster spat
NAV. adhere for future development.
The benefits of this law were soon man
ifest, and I think It is safe to say that
IT has so demonstrates its returns to the
oystermen that economic selishness will
prevent its repeN.
In 1908 there was created the Bureau of
Shell Fisheries, a supervisory department.
with visitorial powers. The head of this
department visits the various oyster
waters of the State. consuIts with the
different commissioners and superintends.
gathers statistics and presents reports of
interest and of value.
Seed BEDS.
Those who appreciate the condition of
The shell fisheries before these acts were
passed compare 1t with ehe condition of
today with satisfaction.
New Jersey has made little progress in
the. development of her seed beds. Until