The Republican journal., 1910-11-24
Better Fish Legislation
Seiners and Weirmen Urged to Have a
Conference for Discussion Of important
Matters Which viii BE Acted Upon at
Augusta This Winter.


the situation now exists the law is very
confusing and is said to operate against
the fishermen and factories, particularly
as to the catching Of herring. A most
sensible suggestion is that contained IN
the following communication from Oil
yer Bowley, who is himself seiner and
weirman. He was member of the last
Legislature from the classed towns OF
Mt. Desert, Southwest Harbor, Gran
berry Island, fremont and Swan Island,
and as member of the committee on
sea and shore fisheries, labored effective
ly for the cause of the great industry
which he represented. Mr.. Bowley's
letter follows:
The value of the catch of fish as taken
from the water, before any labor or
other value has been added to the same,
was given in the last report Of the Sea
and Shore Fisheries Department for this
State as being So, $50, 600 for the year
1908. Add to this sum, labor expended,
capital invested in boats, gear, SCENES,
weirs, wharves, buildings, cold storage
plants and sardine factories, and the ap-
proximate value of the fishing industry
per year to this State would be SlO,O 0O,-
900.
Probably the largest single item in this
amount would be the value of the her
ring industry in all its branches, which
would include fish used for bait by the
lobster and deep-sea fishermen, either
fresh or frozen, and those used by the
sardine factories for canning purposes.
believe that one third of the total value
of the fisheries would be represented by
this industry. Available figures would
indicate even more; but owing tie law
in this State whereby statistics cannot
be taken by the Department of Sea and
Shore Fisheries as to the output of the
sardine industries, figures in reference
to this can only be obtained from the in
divioual statements of parties directly
interested. From all figures available,
however, the herring industry would di-
rectly involve more rather than less than
third of the entire value, and in
directly furnishes large proportion OF
the bait which is used by ground and
lobster fishermen.
The herring is the wheat of the sea.
Fishermen rely almost entirely upon
these fish for bait; few clans, founders
and other fish are used for this purpose,
but practically none in comparison to the
herring.
1t seems to me that the matter of So
called protection TO the herring fisheries
has always been approached in the wrong
way. Tie laws which have been passed
have always peen for the supposed bene-
fit of particular locality or for the bene-
fit of Weirmen or seiners. These laws
have oftentimes been loosely drawn so
that they did not even serve the particu
lar purpose for which they were intend
ed. Further than this, the result has
been that neither Weirmen, seiner or fish
erman have taken any of large body of
fish which might have been taken had
there been suitable general law.
All interested in the industry know
that there is an arbitrary division on the
coastline of this State; viz: White Head;
to the westward of which it is lawful to
eastward of which the limit is one-half
mainland to mainland" the distance is
less than three nautical miles This
division line was arbitrarily fixed by
statute, and l ask, for what purpose,
and by whom? Was it done in the inter-
est of the fisheries, or in the interest of
individuals?
Is there any sense or nonsense in such
division? Are the habits of the herring
any different either one or the other side
of White Head?
Further, there is a general conflict in
many cases between the general and the
special laws; also in reference to SEM
ing, between the laws applicable to her
ring andito smelts, alewives or: other fish,
so that it may be lawful to seine one or
the other, but at the same time be abso-
lutely unlawful to dispose of fish of the
other kind which may, unintentionally,
but almost always, be taken in a seine.
This conflict also applies to fish taken in
weirs
Heretofore the laws relating to this
great and important industry, which af
fects not only those directly interested,
but the welfare of the whole State, have
been originated by and passed through
the influence of those who had some
particular interest in a particular law.
1t seems to me that the time has ar
rived when all interested in this bust
ness, either directly or indirectly.
should approach the matter in a sensi-
Die way, and all those directly interest
ed in the fisheries should come together
as friends of the industry and not as
enemies, and endeavor to recommend to
the next Legislature laws which may be
SdllS1 dCIOly W oil COICGIlleu anu VI Uell6-
fit to the whole industry. Everyone
knows that the present laws are source
of trouble, annoyance, expense, and are
causing constant friction between those
directly engaged in the business, partic
ularly seiners and weirmen, who take the
fish from the water.
AS a citizen of this State, as fisher
man, weirman and seiner, who has the
welfare of this industry and the inter-
ests of the fishermen at heart, and with
no other motive or view in mind, wish
to publicly make the following sugges-
tons: viz, that the fishermen-and |
mean by this those who are catching
herring and those who are dependent
upon herring for bait-in each commune
ty, the sardine packers and cold storage
men, get together and talk this matter
over as neighbors as business PROPOSE
ton, and see if they cannot agree upon
certain laws that ought to be passed to
straighten this whole matter out and put
an end to the unnecessary friction which
has existed as long as l can remember;
and then let one locality communicate
with another, so that between now and
the first of January there can if possible
be a meeting where majority may
agree upon recommending the passage
OF some good, fair, just laws which may