Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-06-17
STILL AFTER FISHERMEN

cellent but uniformed piscatorial
student, The Eastern Shore Herald:
The Herald has often referred to the
question OF the preservation of the food
fsh supplies of the State. Until some
thing is done to prevent the Wholesale
/ destruction of those fish which help to
! supply food to the food fish, there must
OF necessity be a diminu.ion of those
| the people are accustomed to eat. The
hsh FERTILIZER factories are now working
overtime catching al! classes of fish for
the purposes mentioned, and thereby
driving the food fish away from our
waters forever, and the public will wake
up to the facts when it is too late. The
Vlrginian- Pilot gives the truth of the
situation in the following words which
are commended to the thoughtful reader:
| Newspapers along the coast are dis
GUESSING the fish question. 1t is rather
amusing to observe the laborious efforts
OF some contemporaries to prove that
| the catching of millions and millions of
menhaden and other similar fish to he
used as fertilizers has nothing to do
with the disappearance of the food fish.
As we understand, the menhaden is the
natural food of the blue fish, the bay
mackerel and others.
Yet 1T is contended that when the
menhaden are taken away blue fish and
bay mackerel ought to be as abundant
as ever. 1t would be Just as logical To
insist when all the grass is burned from
country cattle should continue to -four
lsh there. 1T blue fish and maclSerel can
llnd nothing TO eat along the Virginia
SHORES, how are they to remain here?
we do not think all the witticism.
all the assumption of superior knowledge
and expert intelligence and all the talk
OF the commercial value of the fish fer
tlllzer industry that can be done will
convince the public in the face of plain
common sense and facts of general
knowiedge;, We are not prepared to
say That the business of taking fish to
ne used for fertilizer should be abolished.
Probably our fertile waters can furnish
enough of such fish for reasonable sun
ply for commercial use while leaving in
the waters enough of them to bring
back the food fish. But all the evidences
seems to be that the taking of the
menhaden should be limited. Captain
David Stormont, of Virginia Beach.
described by the Norfolk Virginian3
Pilot as one of the largest and most ex-
perienced pound net fishermen of the
State. probably indicates the proper
remedy: He suggests to the Virginian-
Pilot that menhaden fishermen and
others fishing for fertilizing purposes
should be prohibited from fishing within
liked distance of the shore. The old
law. we believe, puts this limit at three
miles"
Ihese two well meaning papers take
'hear-say" for evidence and arrive at
verdict. They overlook, or are most
likely ignorant of practical demonstra-
lions as to the catch of food fish by the
menhaden men. No good fish, like blue
fish. is ever ground up. When an oc-
caslonal one comes Tapping aboard he
Is grabbed with avidity for the table
Each menhaden concern pays out thous-
ands of dollars annually for fish for
Their mems tables. The State of Vir-
gina and the u. S. Government have
both rigidly looked into the question.
Government experts say mans. efforts
at diminishing the menhaden is but a
drop in the bucket" If we did not
catch them the big syndicates north
would, and then our farmers would
squeel at the high price of fertilizer.
The bluefish and mackrel first appear
OIL the Virginia North Carolina coast
each season and they are set upon bv
fleets of northern boats. Thew are
both wary fish and shun in-sbore, canes
and inlets. There is no appreciable
dimlnution of these species, as evidenced
by the large and growing fleets during
the past twenty years pursuing them.
They have grown scarce in the Chesa-
peake-not for lack of live menbaden
to chase, for these have come in greater
abundance -but because of a foolish law.
happily repealed by the recent legisla-
ture, which prohibited non-residents
from catching blue fish within our canes.
UP to the time of that exclusive act of
some years ago bluefish were plentiful
IN our waters. This fish swarms where
1t can get food easily, and that is at the
mouth of our capes where the ostracized
northern fleets bait them. Now that
they will be allowed to bait, and toll
them into the Chesapeake we expect in
year or so an increase in the catch
here, by our own people as we'll as by
non-residents.
In quoting Mr.. Stormont, our Norfolk
contemporary loses sight of the fact
that his is an ex parte statement. From
personal acquaintance we know that
single one of his big nets will catch
more food fish Exclusive of herring
during the glut) in season than are
ground up by all the menhaden factories
or are supplied on the tables of the
thirty-odd steamers.