The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-06-04
SERIOUS
CONDITION
OF THE FISHERIES OF cHESA.
PEAkE BAY AND TRIBUTARIES.

PEAkE BAY AND TRIBUTARIES
WASHINGTON, II. C.. June TN
t0uiries conducted by the Bureau o
Fisheries. Department OF Commerce
show that the present fishing seaso,
has been the poorest in many years Ii
most parts OF the Chesapeake Basin
md the aggregate catch Of the princi
pal spring fish. shad and herring, will
be much less than in recent years. The
effects Of the diminished run of flsl
| will be seen from three TO five year,
hence. when the reduced progeny o
this seasons supply comes back "a
spawn.
The conditions In the Potomac river
which may be taken as typical for ali
the major streams. are in some re
spccis the worst in 10 years. The up
! per reaches OF the river have been al
most barren OF fish during the eniir,
season. and nearly all the shad and
herring fishermen have failed to NEE,
expenses. AT Ferry Landing, the lars
est seine on the river. l.20O fathoms
long. has discontinued operations In
the middle of the season owing 10 the
scarcity OF fish. In former years TIL.
celebrated fishing shcrc. with small
er seine, sometimes yielded 100000 OF
more herring at haul. and up to ~
o, 10 years ago took probably $1,000
to 10000 fish at haul on an average
Only II few years back. from 1000 to
800 shad were frequently taken at
one set of the seine. This year the
largest haul was 5000 herring and tNf
shad. while many times only to q
shad were taken.
The shad hatcncries operated by the
l'ureau on the Potomac and Susque
Gamma rivers have had very unsuc
cessfui season. Their operations AZ
ford a good criterion of the condition
Of the fishery In the fresh water. be
cause the whole field Is covered and
nearly every ripe fish that Is caught
h.! the fishermen is stripped OF its eggs
by srawniakcrS sent out from the
hatcherles. Al tho shad hatchery ~,
the Potomac river. the egg collections
amounted to 29.aSS.000 as compared
with SS.12I .OO0 In 1872. The hatchery
at the mouth OF the SusQuehanna river
las been able to secure only 5000. 900
cegs to d1tc. as compared with t0.0od..
600 In 1912. which season was regard
et as an absolute failure.
Shad culture on a scale that is en-,
iirely feasible eau. with minor protec,
tive legislation. maintain the shad
fishery in almost any stream; but shad
culture under existing conditions is de,
rrived Of one vert essential require
inent. namely. an adequate supply o:
ipe eggs for Matching purposes.
The immediate cause OF the failure
OF the shad and herring fisheries this
year is the diminished run OF spawi.
ing fish into Chesapeake Bay from the
sea. and the enormous quantity OF ap
paratus among which a very limite ed
catch had TO be divided. IRasmaeh al
the great bulk of the yield is taken iu
sale water, the remnant that was ablc
TO reach the spawning grounds in the
streams was insignificant aud wholly
inadequate to maintain the supply.
The remote cause Of the presen,
condition Is excessive fishing In fo,,
E'er years. and the lack OF even the
minimum amount OF protection that Il
demanded by regard for the most e!c
mentary principles of fishery conser
vation. Fish entering Chesapeake Ba?
have TO run through such a maze OF
Ects that the wonder Is that any are
Bile to reach their spawning grounds
and deposit their eggs. The mouth ol
every important shud and herring
stream in the Chesapeake Basin Is
literally cloggcd with nets that ar.
set Tor the special purpose OF inter
cepting every fish: whereas proper
regard for the future welfare of tif,