Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-11-24
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER "a, 1872,
MAINE FISHERIES.
Commissioner erie Says Larger APP.
propriation is Needed.

Commissioner erie Says Larger APP
preparation is Needed.
At a hearing before Governor
Milliken and the legislative budget
committee, matters of great interest
and Importance to the coast people of
Maine were presented by Commits
sioner Horatio D. erie of the sea and
shore fisheries. Explaining why the
commission was now asking an in
creased appropriation of $4,000
Mr. erie said:
THE average annual pack of sar-
dimes on the Maine coast, is 2,506, 600
cases. selling at 100000. There
arefifty-four factories, and 1876 boats
are used, the industry giving EN-
ployment to about 5000 persons. The
factories consume 100000 bushels
of herring in normal year and the
by-prodacts sell for S15,500.
Smoked herring also cut big figure.
In 1915 there were eighty-three
smoke houses in operation; 500 ,2S0
boxes of scaled herring were cured
and Gold for S9S,20. There were
put on the market 5,3S0,150 pounds
of homeless herring, the producers re-
eeiving 1888 ,907. The cuttings or
waste were sold for S54.2SS. Dur
ing the year 1916 there were used in
this industry 124. 900 bushels of her
ring, and 10000 persons were given
employment.
1.-THE lobster is one of the most inn
portant factors in Names fishing in
dustry, there being $500 registered
fishermen and there are more
than $500 fishermen and dealers.
Bulletins issued by the department
have performed an educational mis-
sion, until to-day the sea and shore
fisheries commission feels that not
more than per cent. of illegal lob
sters are sold in comparison with a
few years ago."
Mr.. erie told the committee that
many smelts are destroyed every
spring when they come into the
brooks. to spawn. Thousands of in
dividuals carry them away by tons,
for sport as much as for food. Not
only are the parent smelts destroyed
by catching, but spawn which have
already been deposited in the brooks
are destroyed. Goldfish which come
into the bays and rivers to spawn are
also caught and marketed The fish
cries commission is helpless in both
cases because of its limited staff of
wardens.
Mr.. erie told the committee that
there is no reason why salmon and
alewives cannot be increased rapidly,
If allowed to go to the headquarters
and spawn. He told OF the work
which had already been done in the
way of clam culture. There are
thousands of acres of depleted clam
flats to-day which will not pay liv-
ing wage for the digging. Properly
cultivated, the flats can be made to
yield $1,000 an acre, and an album
dance of this shell fish could be
furnished. sss~x
when the committee considers
IT'S appropriation for this department"
it should compare it with agriculture,
said Mr.. erie, ''for it furnishes nearly
as much food as the farms-not only
for Maine, but the whole country,
and even the world The only state
which can compare favorably with
Maine in the fishing, is Washington,
where they have established fisheries
schools oeducate young men in the
catching, curing and preserving of fish
in the most sanitary way. The farm
ers receive a great deal of assistance
in an educational way, but nothing
has yet been done by the State OF
Maine for the fishermen"