The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-04-15
North Sea TraWlng ParaIyz0d
by War Zone Raiders.
PINCH OF SCARCITY is FELT

with its war zones and counter
war zones, its mined areas, It's hostile
fleets and its heavily defended shores.
the North sea Ia a few months has
been transformed from one or the rich
est food producing areas In Christen-
dom into a region upon whose mastery
may depend the starvation Of II or
the other OF two OF the mightiest ma
tions OF the earth"
The above statement appears in the
current issue Of the National Geograph-
ic Magazine. the official organ of the
National Geographic society. The ma
1t Is apparent that the countries re
ferred TO are England and Germany.
The article, which is unsigned, points
out that In times Of peace no other
like area has given to humanity such
rich supplies Of food as has the North
sea. There more than in any other
known region of the oceans. II adds.
the food fishes cOngregate.
The fish food output Of the North sea
In the year preceding the present war
totaIed 100000 tons.
Food Of Rich and Poor.
To-day" says the article, "A hundred
thousand Englishmen who manned the
steam trawl, the drifter aud the sail
ing boat; tens OF thousands OF Ger
mans who We'd with them In their
work; Belgians, the French, the Dutch.
the Danes and the SeandinaYians. who
also helped exploit the North sea fish
eries-all Of these are largely cut OF
jobs. Fishing boats now sweep the
sea for mines instead OF SEEMING 1t for
fish.
Germany cannot look 10 the Baltic
for any large supply OF fish TO replace
her former supplies from the Ntsth
sea, for the waters OF that sea are
poor producing grounds. The total an
nual yield there Is only about a ttnfh
as great as that Of the North sen. and
Germany's share Of this IL IN normal
times very small.
Great Brltain's North sen fisheries
represent nearly two-thirds of the total
catch there and are more than eight
times as large as those Of Germany.
I'm the North sea three -fifths OF the
total catch are herring: haddock takes
second place. constituting IL per cent
OF the total; cod comes third. with 50
per cent, and the plaice fourth. with
Al per cent OF the total catch. In the
matter OF values the ratio Is somewhat
different from that of weights. Con
~stituting 02.7 per cent OF the weight
of the seasons catch, the herring ac-
counts for only 454 per eent OF its
value.
The vast proportion of the fish con
sumed In Europe Is salt fish. The
fresh fish go to the tables of the rich.
while the herring and other sailed va
rieties are consumed principally by
the masses. The result Is hat when
the pinch In the fish supply began to
come 1t visited the homes of the we'll
70 do first. All OF the countries at war
probably have enough salt fish In their
warehouses to tide over "A considerable
period, but II the war keeps up this
reserve must disappear.
Not only do the nations at war feel
the pinch OF the fish shortage caused
by the war, but neutral nations as
well. Holland feels 1t sorely from a
production standpoint, as do also Swe-
den, Norway and Denmark. On the
other hand, II hits Switzerland more
from "A consumption standpoint. That
country normally buys nearly $1,000
OOO worth of fish from the countries
that border the North sea.
Hard TO Realize Here.
we in America, where fish forms
such a minor part OF our daily diet and
where SO many of the fish that We eat
are grown In our rivers and bays, I'M
der a great American originated sys-
ten OF fish culture, find Ii hard to real
ize how serious in their proportions
and how farreaching I'm their conse-
quences are the results OF the practical
closing down of the fisheries OF the
North sea.
Europe has depended very much on
these fisheries for fish supplies. More
than half OF all the fish produced on
all the fishing grounds operated by Eu-
peans are caught within the limited
territory that constitutes the North sea
fishing grounds. How much they are
depended upon Is shown by the fact
that Great Britain annually absorbs
100000 ton of North sea fish. That
means twenty-five pounds per capita.
And, while this IS small IN proportion
10 her per capita meat consumption of
119 pounds, yet 1t is that margin which
represents the difference between a
bounteous plenty and positive hunger
unless other foods can he secured to
take Its place.
THE same condition applies &c Ger
many. Not only has that country here
tofore used all OF its own catch. but
has annually imported more than 1900
GOO barrels from other countries around
the North sea. The United Kingdom
and Germany are the two greatest meat
Eating nations OF the six leading ones
now ar war, Germany's per capita otn-
sumption being I13 pounds"