Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-10-11
To Save The Fishing

According to official reports. says the
Washington Star. the fishing industry
of the Chesapeake bay aud its trihuta-
ries. including the Choptank River. is
doomed TO destruction unless the Fed
eral Government and the State of
Maryland can provide effective means
for the adequate protection of the fish
by the rigid enforcement of existing
laws and regulations governing the plac
ing OF fish nets and traps in those wa
ters, ana such additional legislation MS
may be deemed necessary to meet the
situation.
Considerable correspondence on the
subject has passed between the secre-
taries of War and Commerce and be-
teen those officials and the authorities
of the State of Maryland. 1t appears
that the efforts of the War Depart
ment have been directed mainly to pre-
serving the navigability of the waters
under its jurisdiction. and that it has
had difficulty in preventing the en-
croachment of the nets across the
mouth of various streams in order to
leave space enough for the passage of
steamboats, and other vessels.
AT the instance of the Secretary of
Commerce, the army engineers in
charge of public work in the waters of
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries
made special Investigations of reported
violations of the laws and regulations
governing the placing of fish nets in
those waters. In their reports these Off
GERS agree that "the decrease in the
number of fish in Chesapeake Bay is due
to the excessive seining and destruction
of fish from the water of Chesapeake
Bay and tributaries for other purposes
than food. and prohibiting their use by
fertilizer.
The excessive catch used by the
fertilizer factories. said the chief of
engineers. in summarizing the reports
of the engineering officers. "can readily
be established by little investigation,
and also by the fact that they take the
fish at any and all times and from all
places without regard to propagation or
supply for future years.
1.-The office would recommend that
the Secretary of War be informed that
the only remedy will be the enactment
of the law by the Maryland legislature
preventing the use of fish by the fertil
izer factories and prohibiting the TAX
ing Of fish from the waters of Chesa-
peake Bay and tributaries foran other
that if such law were enacted the
troubles from stakes and nets would be
greatly decreased
'The remedy for present conditions
appears to be with the State of Maryland.
If the legislature Of that State should
enact laws prohibiting fisheries and fer
tiizer factories in the State. and requir-
ing the men that use trap nets to pay "A
license for that privilege. the revenue
from those licenses would enable the
State to patrol the waters and control
the industry. AS they do now with oys-
tering and oyster grounds.
In letter TO the Secretary of Com
merce transmitting the reports Of the
army engineers on the subject. Acting
Sectreary Breckinridge. of War Depart
ment. says:
'As you are already aware, these
nets were being increased to such an
extent that some of them interfered
with navigation and this department
therefore in January. 1913. issued regu-
lations limiting location to such extent
as was believed necessary for the pro-
lection Of navigation. Steps were taken
TO bring those regulations to the atten-
tion of the public in order that the fish
ermen might have time to adjust them
selves TO the new conditions. II is the
intention 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 Baltimore dis
trict has been authorized under certain
restrictions, to proceed summaiily
against certain classes of offending nets
in his district. when owners can not be
reached with sufficient promptness
through the courts"