Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-04-27
Our Fish Supply.

We are just waking up to the seri-
BUSINESS of the fact that our fish supply
has been diminishing for the past quar-.
ter of century at an alarming rate,
and the fact is emphasized at this time
| by reason of the high prices which have
prevailed for the products of the farm,
says Chicago Wholesale Grocer.
Now that we have a better realiza-
tlon of what it means and will continue
to mean, to have our food supply of
fish decrease each year, there is a cry
going up which amounts to demand
for remedy.
Years ago, when choice fish swarmed
on the Atlantic coast and into its trib-
utaries by the millions, the fisherman
gave no thought to future supply. For
him the needs of the day were sufi-
Gent. So he caught fish at such times
as suited his purpose and caught them
as best he could. Neither time nor
place nor method gave him any con-
Germ beyond the fact that any time,
place or method was good that fur
nIshed him fish for the market.
In the spawning season millions of
hsh were caught for their roe. Others
were destroyed in the catching process.
The supply seemed to be inexhaustible
and no one gave heed for the inevitable
tomorrow when there would be a short
age.
This shortage has been growing for
years Some effort has been made TO
check the wanton destruction that had
been going on. But now that the short
age is of an alarming nature radical
methods will have to be adopted to at
least preserve the supply
HOLSTERS, so plentiful few years ago.
can no longer be had in sufficient guam
titles to supply the Gamers. We have
the lobster grounds as of old, but we do
not get the Holsters. What measures
that have been adopted to stop waste |
and encourage breeding will be of some
benefit, but other methods will have to
be put in force if our present supply is
to be increased.
Shad are growing scarcer year by |
year and who can wonder at it9 From
the time these fish make for the fresh |
water tributaries in the south until |
they reach their northermost spawning
grounds they are harrassed by the fish,
ermen and their nets. The wonder is
that any shad escape to deposit their
eggs.
The salmon that were plentiful
enough on the Atlantic coast in the
lays of our ancestors, are no longer to
be found in their old-time haunts.
Goldfish, once the staple article of
food for the old-time puritans, are no
onger plentiful. Time was when the
ocean swarmed with these fish. They
we're so numerous it appeared to be i'm
possible to make any appreciable effect
IN the supply.
And so with practically all the salt
water fish. They have been growing
carcer year by year and now the cues, Il
ion is what are we going to do about
tn
Simply this: The food supply of a
lation should be considered as a thing
part from local interests. 1t might be
of a hardship on the Allan
le coast fisherman to put a stop to
much of the promiscuous fishing now
But the food of nation
S at stake and radical laws for the
reservation of this food supply have
'ecome an absolute necessity.
To be sure, there would come manv
omplaints from fishermen and packers
an effort were made to curb their
reed, but there would appear to be no
ther way to improve or even maintain
ur fish supply, except by some manner
f protection methods.
The waters of the Atlantic ocean will
i've us an enormous supply of food if I
5e encourage the fish to multiply and
discourage fishing that tends to lessen [
he supply year after year. 6
What is true of fish and fishing on
he Atlantic coast is equally true of :
he fish and fishing methods of the Pa
ific coast. Both these big fishing
Iaters need more attention at the
ands of the federal government.