Evening journal., 1920-04-12
TO Bring BACK
:. LOST STURGEON
Maryland Hopes to Restore
Disappearing Fish Through
Legislation
ITS CAVIARE
> MOST VALUABLE

The Conservation Commission Of
Maryland is preparing an act passed
BY the recent General Assembly. and
Of which Mr.. Coad, of ST. Marys county
Hyas the author for the restoration OF
tile sturgeon. q valuable fish which is
disappearing from the Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries. Fifty years ago this
fish teemed in the bay. rivers and
creeks. Sein haulers and weir owners
regarded IL a. 4 nuisance because Of
its pugnacity and because Of iis sup
posed propensity to destroy other fish,
its cayiare was not then recognized as
Valuable. With its Disappearance cavi-
sre 10 large quantities was imported
from Russia.
Mr.. cosd's bill provides that u shall
be unlawful 10 catch, Kill, take, sell
or have in possession in the Stale OF
Maryland any sturgeon less than four
feet in length
IN order 10 replenish the supply the
Federal Bureau Of Fisheries in 1914
agreed TO Import sturgeon from Bull
garla and Russia. in whose waters they
sce abundant and to distribute spawn
ln the Chesapeake Bay. In order 10
srolect the fish and to give tncn an op-
.portunity 10 come back, the federal Du-
feau asked Maryland and Virginia to
enact protective laws 10 be in force for
80 years. That was in i9ii The laws
were passed as requested. Despite tne
distribution Of spawn ana also desp.iV
ihe scattering supply that survived. tne
sish has been tsrdy in reappearins.
N the sturgeon 10 relaDlui'lea Sn-
other source OF wealth viii De added 10 I
fhe Chesapeake Bay and It's tributaries. I
Tho nsh is the source OF the supply OH
Jar. which Is imported aud which 7
commands retail price va-ying from
s. TO SO a pound. 10 is apparent tnat I
n re-establshed 10 viii he hleilS /
prof,iable industry But can il De re-
established IN the Chesapeake il q is 70 !
b. taken understood promiscuously
aas without adequate protection VIII
history repeat Itself 4--Nill the stur-
yson share the fate OF other products
of he Chesapeake Bay. and, indeed, It's
own former faief
70 was during The eighties that the
sturgeon Industry reached It's greatest
aoiehfs alonr the Delaware river. Al
iagt iime slargeon were not appreciated
aa food SO The fishermen slaughtered
ia.n because they destroyed the light
nets used for catching shad and other
1sh. Then came the demand for caviar,
>vhich IS made from sturgeon roe. This
hfoneh. ST a pound. so that the fisher
inen hunted roe sturgeon the year
round.
There was no law to protect the hsn
ana this greed OF the fishermen LED q
"A decrease In caviar production nf
MS country reached S7,0oo.000 In 1888
n dropped. to S5,000O00 in the early
iInelics and now Is hardly worthy oi
Caviar has always been
fhe most costly food product sold IN
the United States. A single sturgeon
has been known 10 yield as much is
SO worth OF eggs in addition 10 th3
alue OF the meat.
Some idea Of the decrease OF the stur-
reon can be had from the record OF
Delaware river. once one OF the most
sturgeon grounds OF this
country. In 1890 the catch there amount I
I'd 10 5O32 40 pounds. valued at Sii9.-
so. H. 1900 It had so diminished that
ne reports give eaton OF only 357967
valued al less than $4,000. Since
hen the decrease has been so great That !
now no sturgeon worthy OF record are
10 be found in the Delaware river The I
entire sturgeon industry in that To- :
.alify has been abandoned, excepting =
Tor the efforts Of sturgeon culture now
m progress.
The decrease has been almost as great !