El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-23

, luton Of the house and the senate
for federal investigation which should
supply the necessary facts upon which
Intelligent legislation might be based
Target Practice Kills Fish.
Within the past quarter of cen
fury great attention has been given
by all civilized nations to the economic
advantages to be derived from greater
care and study OF the fish products
of the world and a number of prOmE
nent scientific societies are giving the
subject consideration from their stand
point, while men actually engaged IN
the fishing industry are keeping rec
Ords Of conditions affecting fish which
were unnoticed a few years ago.
number Of organizations have the
welfare and Improvement of fish as
their direct object and most of these
are united or in some way affiliated
with the international Fisheries con-
greSS. This is another bond between
nations which its adherents think es-
peciaIly calls forth an interest in uni
versal peace. At a recent meeting Of
the congress, attention was called to
the fact that there was no influence
more detrimental to fish than the fir
ing of large guns, and that even so
peaceful an event as a naval review
was yet frOught with heavy losses to
the fishermen. It was stated that the
fish have been almost eXterminated IN
one Of the large bays in Ireland since
the battleships have had their target
practice there. In America a number
of similar incidents have been noted.
Costly for Fishermen.
A few years ago the American fleet
came up the Chesapeake bay and made
its headquarters OFF Tangier island, in
the center of the menhaden industry
The fishermen would find a school OF
fish anywhere within 10 miles Of the
island, and one of the big guns would
ately disappear and the days work be
lost to the fishermen.
1t is claimed that by the fleet re-
naming there a few weeks the state
number of. fishing firms were bank
rupted. The result was a petition to
congress and the removal Of the fleet.
but the same thing has been noticed
in many parts of the world and is be-
coming recognized as d menace to the
fishing industry. In Bermuda serious
losses have been sustained by the death
of whole schools Of fish as the result
of explosives fired from gun boats.
and it is claimed that fishing has be-
come greatly diminished along certain
parts Of the coasts of Spain and Italy
from the same causes
Importance of Conservation.
The Importance of fish conservation
is tnus becoming well recognized By
each of the nations. The tendency OF
an industry to injUre the fish life OF
the waters near which 1t is to be To-
Gated has now been considered import
ant enough to warrant considerable
legal restriction. In this country most
Of the states having fishing territory
have had some legislative action re-
garding it.
in number of places, print factories
and dye works had been accustomed to
empty refuse dye solutions into the
streams. At first this did not notice
ably affect the fish as they are less
susceptible to some pOisOns than other
animals, but gradually it was found
that the native fish were disappearing
even though fewer were caught than
formerly The prohibition of the pol
luton Of the waters has been found
a means Of increasing the number of
fish.