Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-09
BAY
MAY bEF|SHLESS
Industry in Danger of De-
Struction, Is Burden> of
Official Reports.
BLAME is PLACED ON
THE EXCESSIVE CATCH
Prompt Action by Maryland and Vir-
ginia in Cooperation With
United States Urged.

united states Urged.
According to official reports. the fish
ef;es ministry Of the CacsarZakn Jay
ana lis tributaries, inc.u5',.:s us Potomac
Ter, us doomed to ties:~sg"tion unless
Ire .@aera. government and The states;
9, ',aa,,ic,!j sr.d Virgin, can provide ef-
tfcf-'s ;.;a>!. f;s. the OK. MAJ. protection.
g -: lsl hS the rigid enforcement OF
= - u, .::as ana regulations governing
sat. u teng 0. fish nets and traps in
fhE:se waters. and such additional legis-
ia;:on as may he deemed necessary to
meet the situation.
Ccnsdcral lie correspondence on the sub
j"ct has passed between the Secretaries
of War and Commerce and between those
officials and the authorities of the states
OF Maryland and Virginia. 1t appears
that the efforts of the War Department
have been directed mainly to preserving
Li:e navigahlity OF the waters under its
jurisdiction. and that il has had difficulty
IN preventing the entertainments of the
nets across TIC mouths or various streams
III order 10 leave space enough for the
passage OF steamboats and other vessels.
Inquiry by Army Engineers.
At the instance of the Secretary Of
Comm cree. the army engineers in charge
OF pubic works in the waters of Chesa-
peake bay and it's tr. butaries made spe-
cial investiga lions OF reported violations
Of the laws and .reguia ticns governing
the placing OF fish nets in those waters,
IN their reports these officers agree tina c
the decrease n che numDcr of fish in
chesapeake nay Is cue to the excessive
sc.ninS anu tos.tdc Ion of fish by the
fertilizer factories. according to the
reports the oniy remedy is a law which
will prevent tire taxing OF fish from the
waters OF Chesapeake bay and tribu-
taf4es Tor otne' purposes tnan food, and
prohibiting their use by fertilizer.
the excessive catch used by the ferti-
iize- actor les, sad the chief OF engi-
neers. in summarizing tue reports OF the
engineer officers. can readily be estab-
iisnea by a little inyestiga ton, and also
by tie tact chat they take the fish 1T
any and IL times and from all places
without regard to propagation or supply
for future years.
This office would recommend that IN.
Secretary of War be informed that the
only remedy will be the enactment of a
law by the Maryland legislature prevent
ing the use of fish by the fertilizer FAC
tories and prohibiting the taking OF fish
from the waters of Chesapeake bay and
tributaries for any other purpose than
for food. 1t is believed that If such a
law were enacted the troubles from stakes
and nets would be greatly decreased.
Shores Lined With Nets
THE most probable cause of the dimin-
fishing annual catch of fish in the upper
waters would appear to be the excessive
amount caught in the lower part of
Chesapeake bay. The shores of the bay
itself and most of it's tributaries are al
most completely lined with fish stakes,
which extend tar out from the shore, and
besides these, there are boats fishing with
seine, so that it is almost wonderful that
any fish at all escape to reach the upper
tributaries.
TT Is believed that the cause for the
diminished run of fish at this season Is
due to the excessive number of nets being
placed at the mouth Of the streams and
js the streams. allowing only space
enough for the steamboats, and other
traffic to pass.
Another cause for the scarcity of the
run of fish is that there are twelve or
thirteen fisheries in the tributaries of
Chesapeake hay on the west side be-
tween the mouth OF the Potomac river
and Fort Monroe. These fisheries are
supposed to confine their catch to men,
haden, which are converted into fish oil
and scrap, but 1t has been the observa-
ton Of this Office that they do not dis
criminate between menhaden fish and
IOOQ uSu. LII tic SpI Ai6 ioA &c ao0hSiSiCS
Of herring are converted into oil and
scrap and during the season any school
Of fish that is sighted by the boats is
caught up by nets. regardless OF species.
From records of this Office one OF these
fisheries catches annually about $4,000
tons of fish. and has in operation seven
steamers engaged in fishing. days
catch of one of these steamers OF 100 to
200 tons Of fish Is not unusual. II these
figures Of 25OOO tons Of fish and seven
~ l~If4 II fh0
Der Of fishing establishments in the Dis
trict-thirteen-it would probably give the
total catch OF fish for a season. SO 1t can
be readily understood why the run of fish
this season was small. It Is expected. II
these conditions continue. that the run
each season will be reduced accord
ingly.
Remedy for Conditions.
1.-THE remedy for present conditions
appears to be with the states of Mary
land and Virginia II the legislatures
OF those states should enact laws pro-
hibiting fisheries and fertilizer fac
tories in the states, and requiring the
men that use trap nets to pay a license
for that privilege, the revenue from
those licenses would enable the states
industry. as they do now with oyster
ing and oyster grounds"
In letter to the Secretary Of Com
merce transmitting the reports OF the
army engineers on the subject, Acting
Secretary Breckenridge of the War De-
partment, says:
LAS you are already aware. these nets
were being increased to such an extent
that some Of them interfered with navi-
CATION. and this department therefore in
january. 1918, issued regulations limiting
their location to such extent as was be-
Neved necessary for the protection Of
navigation. Steps were taken to bring
those regulations to the attention Of the
public In order that the fishermen misht
have a reasonable time to adjust them
selves to the new conditions. 1t is the in
tention Of this department to enforce
those regulations. That must normally
be done through the courts. upon COM
plant against specific nets. The district
officer of the Baltimore district has been
authorized, under certain restrictions. to
proceed summarily against certain classes
of offending nets in his district, when
owners cannot be reached with sufficient
promptness through the courts. If neces-
sary. similar action will be authorized in
the washington and Norfolk districts"