The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-22

fish. In former years this celebrated
fishing shore. with a smaller seine,
sometimes yielded 100000 or moro her
ring ut haul. and up to ton or fifteen
years ago took probably 5000 to co.
600 fish at a haul on an average Only
a few years back from 1000 to 1900
shad were frequently taken at one
set of the seine. In 1913 the largest
haul was 1900 herring and 100 chad,
while many times only six to twenty
shad were taken.
Third. My suggestion to remedy these
grave conditions. even to small do
gree. Is to enact a law for close
season on shad and other migratory
fish from Saturday ut sunset until Mon
day at sunrise, requiring all fishermen
to remove from the water during the
close time all haul seines, purse seinea
gill nets. etc, and all pound nets and
other stationary nets shall be fixed or
adapted so that no fish shall be takon
or retained therein during the close
time, the particulars OF making such ap-
paratus imperative to be determined
by the State Commissioner OF Fisheries
This short period OF rest, we think, Will
In a large measure allow number Of
shad TO reach their spawning grounds.
| To reduce the number of nets might
mean hardship, to some OF the fish
ermen, but the suggested close period
would not only provo great benefit
10 the IutuTe supply OF SnaU, ETC., DuI
| 1t would Give the fishermen the neces-
sary time to clean their nets. I firmly
believe If this law is passed other com
plications will BIO eliminated
| Fourth. Passing OF the Sturgeon
The story OF the sturgeon Is one OF
the most distressing in the whole his
| tory of the American fisheries. These
large. inoffensiye fishes of our sea
boards, coast rivers and interior wa
eli IN
not only vnlueless but nuIsances, and
whenever they became entangled In the
! fishermen's nets they were knocked In
the head or otherwise mortaliy wound
ed and thrown back into the water.
Even in the present generation we have
seen the shores of the Potomac River
I'm the vicinity OF Mount Vernon lined
with the decomposing carcasses OF
these magnificent fishes, witnesses to
the cruelty and stupidity of man, and
the same thing has been observed
everywhere In our country.
Sturgeon FISHERY.
! Tho sturgeon fishery as whole
reached It's climax about 1890. The
catch was 100000 pounds. At the
present timo the total yield does not
exceed 100000 pounds, and every
whore there Is steady downward
trend in tho catch. Some rivers that
formerly supported fiourishing fish
cry are now absolutely depleted. The
scarcity of the sturgeon and the de-
mand for their flesh and eggs have run
tho prices UP to an extraordinary fig
ure never attained by any other fish.
either in America or elsewhere. A ma
ture female sturgeon often brings the
fishermen moro than $3.50, and 1t lis a
poor fish that cannot be sold for $40
to $50 on tho rivers of tho East Coast.
| What is demanded In every State in
which these fishes exist. or have exist
ed, is absolute prohibition OF capture
or sale for n long torn of years. COR
tainly not less than ten. To advocate
any less radical treatment would bo
only trifiing with tho situation. I have
suggested In n proposed bill a ten-year
close season. hope this Legislature
will take warning and prohibit Dap
ture or sale for n longer period.
Fifth. A law II naaAsssr1 to protect