Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1914-01-15
BUSY YEAR WITH
FISH AND GAME
Annual Report of the State
Commission.
REPORT IS INTERESTING
Gr at Quantities of Game Provided
and Many Fish Were Put
to State Waters.

In the opinion of the Fish and Game |
Commission New Jersey is beginning
a new epoch in the protection and |
propagation of migratory birds This |
condition is made possible by the en-
forcement of the provision of the Fed
eral law for the protection of such. |
The State Board in its report just SUBJ
mitted to Governor Taylor, says that |
the enforcement of the Federal law
will prevent the determination of the
species.
Inc Forked River game farm is go
ing to be big factor in saving the
game of the State and in solving the
problem of stocking the State.
According to the report the mouche
mystery, which has long been debated
by sturgeon fishermen, is near solu-
tion.
For many years it has been a moot
ed question, even with scientists, as
to whether the fish known as mouche
and by other names, is, in reality, a
young sturgeon, and therefore, pro-
tected by law. Specimens taken from
| the Delaware were forwarded to the
Bureau of Fisheries at Washington,
which advised the Board that the
mouche is not the young of the COM
mon sturgeon, but the adult short
nosed sturgeon.
| The Board was of the opinion that
the Legislature did not intend to pre-
vent the taking of short-nosed stur-
geon, although under the language of
the act il is prohibited. Fishermen Ia
terested in the subject will endeavor
to have the law changed at the coming
| session.
Distribute 100000 Fish
| Not only in the matter of game but
also with the fish has the Commission
had a great year More than 100000
fish were distributed in the waters
of the State and there are 100000
more at the fish hatchery near Hack
ettstown. The activities in enforcing
the law is shown by the fact that
| $40 600 was collected in fines.
! In addition to the fish distributed
there were 24,S10,000 shad planted in
the waters of the Delaware during
May and June. These were from the
Pennsylvania Fish Hatchery. The
other fish planted included $4,000
trout, 4,OOS,926 white and yellow
perch, 6,64S black bass, principally
taken from the Delaware and Raritan
Canal; 1,205 pickerel, 1,165 crappie,
1.200 blue gilled sunfsh, and 5000
bait fish taken from the Delaware and
Raritan Canal.
The State Treasurer received dur
ing the year $64,9O2 as against $60,491
last year, for resident licenses. From
licenses to menhaden steamers, $3.50
was received, as against $12,925 last
| year. Fees for unnaturalized foreign
| born resident licenses amounted to
$500. Receipts for nonresident Ii
censes were $3.50 and from fish
pound licenses, S4,llO.
Upon request of the board 100000
fry and 200 adult Holsters were placed
in the Atlantic Ocean last spring,
| The ia king of Holsters from Cape
| May, where the fry were placed, is
prohibited for five years. The govern
| ment has given assurances that it will
continue the work, so successfully be-
gun, by placing millions Of Holsters
and lobster fry in the waters of the
State.
Statistics compiled by the Depart
ment showed that at the shad fish
cries on the New Jersey side of the
Delaware River and bay, 4S2 boats
and nets were operated during the
season. There were 1908 men en-
gagged in shad fishing. The total num-
Der of fish caught was 754,770, and the
value of the catch $2S7, ,656, The value
of the boats and nets was estimated
at $175,6OO. About $1S7,S5O fathoms
or 214 miles of nets were used.
Busy at Game Farm
The game farm not having been es-
tablished long enough to produce
birds for stocking in 1913 the Board
followed the usual custom of adver-