The New York herald., 1922-04-23
DELAWARE BAY FISH
YIELD Is ABNORMAL
Shad. Herring and Other Naric-
ties Return There to En-
rich FisherfOlk.
LATTER HAD DESPAIRED
Catches Are So Great Now
That Surplusage Is Being
Fed to Hogs.

Special Dispatch to THE NEw YORK Herald.
FISH are SO abundant in the tributaries
of Delaware Bay and in the lower waters
that they are being caught and fed TO
the hogs. For almost twenty years there
has been an increasing scarcity of shad
and herring. weakfish and rock and SINH
lar food fish. and fishermen were aban-
doning their vocation and turning to
other means of making livelihood.
They were confident that within the next
five years food fish would be almost ex-
tinct and were accepting the situation
with as good grace as possible. many OF
them turning entirely to farming and
fruit raising.
The first surprise TO upset their pre-
dictions came last summer when the
schools OF sturgeon reappeared after
reaching almost the vanishing point. and
some OF the fishermen those best
equipped for the work. made as high as
$500 day at periods through the brief
season.
There was great demand for the roe
of the sturgeon to be made into cavair
and many OF the female fish netted their
stances a couple of net experts landed
two or even four a day.
Big Catch by Two Fishermen.
1t was not however. until last week
that the temperance of food fish
in old time abundance was noted by
Delaware fishermen. On Friday last 1t
is reported that two Seaford fishermen
with a seine swept in more than two
large boatloads OF shad and herring.
speckied trout rock and perch. more
indeed than they would have netted in
two weeks last season or during any
similar period in the last ten or fifteen
years.
: All along the Delaware coast from
Delaware City to Lewes and In every
river and tidewater stream in the state
the fish abound and are being captured
by the thousands.
At Seaford the first big catch late last
week sent the price of prime roe shad
down to that of thirty years ago--S0
cents each. while the bucks were so
plentiful they were sold at 10 and 20
cents apiece. Herring, that have not
sold for less than SIS hundred In the
last quarter of century. were marked
down to 25 cents a hundred. and after
thousands had been eaten and salted
away for winter the hogs were supplied
with wagonloads. M 9t
At Delaware City. the terminus OF the
Delaware and Chesapeake Canal where
herring used to be dipped from the canal
by the bushel by simply lowering baskets
in the water the fish are returning IN
great numbers. with the likelihood OF
being as plentiful as they we're years
ago.
Cause Of Comeback Unknown.
What caused the comeback no one
seems to know The people OF this State
were urging the Federal Government 10
prevent the pollution OF the Delaware
river and by oil freiehters In the mop.
that the food fish would return
There Is delight not only among the
net fishermen but among the anglers az
well. for the absence Of speckled trout
except in small numbers had curtailed
their sport almost to the disappearing
point.
Reappearance OF the fish I'm Delaware
streams viii mean an increase OF per-
hans a million dollars in the revenues OF
the state. as the comeback Is said go
extend TO crabs and other shellnsh, ana
il is hailed with great acclaim by the
people whose incomes have been cur
tailed or cut off through lack OF employ
fnent II. ~