Semi-weekly herald., 1912-12-19
THE FISH INDUSTRY
IN THE SOUTHERN STATES
(By Frederic ]. Haskin. }


In the early days of this country
the fishing industry of the south had
high value because of the variety
and quality of the fish taken. AS
commerce increased, however, the
value of the southern fisheries de-
creased chiefly because, owing to COM
mercial inactivity, for a period, there
was lack of facilities for trans
porting the fish to market and a lack
of ice to preserve them in proper
condition. During the past few yea $
these difficulties have been largely
overcome and with the cooperation
of the United States bureau of fisn-
cries each of the southern states is
actively endeavoring to increase the
value of its former fish products as
well rs to develop new ones. In the
paimy days "befo' de war; the fish
markets Of New Orleans were the
finest fresh fish marts in the world
and were noted for the variety ard
quality of the sea food on sale as
WI e' VIC vi iiidilHtl III WHICH
it was displayed Then the principal
market fell into comparative disuse.
Now an up-to-date building is being
erected for the accommodation of the
French market in which the latest
ideas of refrigeration are to be in op-
Grafton. The partitions will be Of
white tiles and imitation marble pill
lars vii support the Ioof Thus
sanitation and h.wiing displace the
picturesque and Vionvile.
One of the most important accom-
plishments in the development of the
southern fishing trade, aside from the
oyster industry which forms a story
OF itself, is the introduction of shad
into the waters of the southern rivers.
u is nearly ten years since consign-
ment of over 100000 young shad
We're placed in the streams of eastern
and western Florida. While their in-
PRODUCTION to the waters empting into
tie gulf does not seem to have had
any permanent result, the rivers Of
S"ot fioiiud are HoW well StOch eu
with this fish which furnish an appre.
cable addition to its market re-
sources. In both North and South
Carolina the shad has been plante |
III the same manner and the markets
at Charleston and Savannah depend
chiefly upon the local supply of this
fish which was formerly shipped in
from other states.
The southern waters seem tp
abound with unusual animals calcu.
lated to excite the interest of .hs
general public as well as scientific
men. At Beaufort, N. c., where one
of the marine laboratories of the
United States bureau of fisheries -
erected upon land donated for the
iu,pose by private individuals, curl
out fish which was not IA fish, wac
captured last month by an old boat
man. 1t is known as COW fish, a
variety almost extinct, and is ma
'ine mammal, similar to a whale. 1t
was nearly twenty feet in length and
weighed over a ton. 1t came up IN
shallow water and beat itself almost
TO death upon the shoal. 1t is in
tended to have it preserved if posi-
ble, for the national museum. A for-
ty.pound devil fish recently captured
near Gulfport, Miss, is described in
a local paper as having tail Ike
rat, wings like bat, and Two
mouths, while it's back was encrusted
with hard horny she'll" The fish
was brought to the surface of the
water in net and shot with a pistol
ty couple of men who were in quest
of food fish.
The fish and game commission of
Texas has secured the widest encour-
agement in its effort to increase the
fah;ng resources of that state The
fish commissioner announced at a
meeting held in Austin last month
that he had received about forty prop
0sitions from different sections of the
state for the establishment of state
fish hatcheries since he announced his
intention of establish some. The
propositions came from commercial
organizations of towns located upon
different streams. 1t has been decided
to establish four hatcheries for the
present, one each in the eastern, south
ern, western and northern parts of the
state. The requirements for hatch
cry include the supply of at least
$4,000 gallons of pure water per day
and satisfactory railroad facilities to
insure the transportation of the fish.
The fishery interests of the gulf
states include the western coast of
Florida and the entire coasts of Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tex