Evening journal., 1913-07-07
SAYS STURGEON
COMEBACK PLAN
WILLFAIL HERE
Aquarium Superintendent
Meehan Declares Delaware
Laws Doom Scheme
SAYS THE STATE
PERMITS BAD PRACTICES

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, July Under
existing laws the government will meet
with failure in its proposed attempt TO
restore sturgean to the Delaware River
md Bay, according to ex-State Fish
commissioner w. E. Meehan, superinten-
dent OF the aquarium in Fairmount Park.
The fish, whose spawn is eagerly sought
ior the preparation of caviar, has slowly
disappeared from the Delaware River
since 1890 Acting on the advice OF Hor-
ace Greeley Knowles, formerly United
states Minister to Roumania, the au-
thorities at Washington announced sew
tral days ago that they would stock the
river with Roumanian sturgeon in an ef-
fort to bring the valuable fish again into
this vicinity. Mr. Meehan declares the
statutes of the State of Delaware have
no provisions for the protection OF stur-
geon such as are in force in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, and prophesies speedy
destruction Of the fish by Delaware fish
prmen.
Fishermen to Blame.
Sturgeon were driven from the Della
ware River by the reckless and destruc-
tive acts Of shad fishermen he declar-
g in catching the shad they used
gill nets When a six-foot sturgeon
ran into one OF these nets he usually
wrecked it by his huge bulk. For this
reason the fishermen were atrociously
cruel to all sturgeon that came within
their reach. Whenever they found n
+, young one they usually broke its back
with a club.
Both Pennsylvania and New Jersey
have passed laws which protect sturgeon
from these practices. The Legislature
Of the State Of Delaware, however,
caters to the worst element of the fish
Ing class, and it has never been possible
to obtain any protection for the fish off
its shores. Unless Federal legislation
can be put through which will govern
the fishermen of all States. or unless
the authorities of Delaware suffer a
change of heart, the efforts of the gov
eminent to stock the river will be fruit
less.
Sturgeon Once Plentiful
"The movement to bring foreign stur-
geon to the Delaware vas started three
years ago, but at that time nothing
came Of it, Before their destruction
there were two kinds Of the species in
4 the river. the short nose and the COM
mon sturgeon. The short nose sturgeon
is small fish Of no particular value
TIL common variety is the valuable
breed and furnishes the spawn used in
q the preparation of caviar At one time
the Delaware river was filled with stur-
q geon. Then, however. their meat was
Il not considered good to eat and their
n spawn was used only for fish bait Forty
N years ago dozens of them would jump
n out of the water before every ferTyboat
n that crossed between Philadelphia and
q Camden.
Since 1890 the sturgeon catch has
decreased one-half every year. Ii
4 1898 the business failed entirely, mer
q were ruined financially and hundreds
of boats we're abandoned. However
81 It is not to enact laws prohibit
Ing fishing for sturgeon in an effort
10 save them from extinction. Ex-
perience. especially in Canada, has
shown that fish often decrease in
n number in spite Of such laws. The
main point is to see that destructive
practices such as are permitted of
III the shores of Delaware are prohib-
Il tied"
Mr.. Meehan said it would be i'm
possible to tell in advance whether
the imported fish would thrive in do
" mestic waters. He pointed out nu
perous instances where imported FISH
had bo.A multiplied and where they
had disappeared when taken to a new
environment.