Smyrna times., 1922-09-06
DELAWARE JERSEY FISH
LAWS ARE BEING PREPARED
TO BE SUBMITTED THIS WINTER
TO THE STATE LEGISLATURES
Efforts of Delaware River Fishermen
To Save the Shad.-JOint Com
missions Are Busy AT Work.

er and Bay have been greatly interest
ed in the proposed concurrent laws
regulating the taking of fish in the
waters of Delaware River and Bay be-
tween Delaware and New Jersey. For
years the fishermen of these States |
have been handicapped by separate
laws that in some instances conflict
and, which resulted in frequent arrests
of fishermen in former years by the
game and fish authorities of the two
States, each claiming jurisdiction
over the waters in which the men were
fishing. Fines became so numerous
and encounters so frequent due to
these conflicting laws, the Delaware
Legislature nearly two years ago
adopted joint resolution authorizing
the Governor of Delaware to appoint
commission to meet with similar
commission from New Castle to draft
notifications of the laws regulating
the taking of fish in the river and bay
and report same to the next General
Assembly. The New Jersey Legisla-
ture adopted like resolution and the
commission was named. The Great
ing of the joint commission for the
purpose named was generally approx
ed by the fishermen of the two States.
For nearly two years the commission
has been at work on a series of tenta-
tive laws, which it is thought if en-
acted by the two States will greatly
improve conditions. The proposed
laws have already been considered by
the commissions in joint session, and
revised by the New Jersey Commits
sioners, Judge William A. Logue, of
Bridgeton, N. j., chairman; George
NJ. Stratton, of Trenton, secretary of
the New Jersey commission, and Jere-
miah Chambers, of Cape May, and
sent to the Delaware Commission for
its consideration.
Special Meeting Delaware Commission
A special meeting of the Delaware
Commission, composed of Frederick
D. Bender, of Delaware City, chair
man; Harris Samonisky, of Whining
ton, secretary, and ]. Hall Anderson,
attorney, of Dover, met Friday, at
Wilmington, when the revised laws
were favorably considered by the Del
aware commission. Public meetings
of fishermen will be called and if the
proposed laws are approved by them
they will then be submitted to the leg
islature of the two States for enact
ment at the next sessions. Further
efforts on the part of the two COM
missions have been concentrated on
making the proposed laws conform to
the Federal laws, many of which at
this time are at considerable variance
with the present State laws. This
causes great deal of confusion among
the fishermen and gunners. The fed
eral laws principal conhiction is in the
open and closed seasons for migratory
fish. The joint commission has decid
ed not to make public the tentative
changes, until they have been agreed
on by both commissions in joint ses
sion. 1t is rumored that the com
missions have practically decided OF
an open and closed season for stur
geon and shad fishing. This has caus
ed trouble in the past, Delaware hav
ing a closed season, while Jerseymel
had no closed season laws governing
these fish.
Effort to Stop Pollution of Waters
1t is also said the legislatures o
both States will be asked by the com
mission to re-establish the State pro
pagation plants and also petition tn
next Congress to enact laws agains
pollution of the Delaware. This pollu
| ton is contended by fishermen o
t many years experience to have cause
e a decrease of all food fish in the Dela
ware river. Many purchasers of fis
food caught in the Delaware rive
have complained for the past three G
four years of the fish tasting of OF
This is alleged to be due to oil burr
ing vessels casting their refuse in tn
river after entering the capes. TT
e fishing industry of the Delaware ;
one time gave employment to hun
dreds of men living along the strear
but many in recent years have give
it up. Delaware River and Bay fe
= years ago each spring were dottt
with shad and sturgeon fisherme
plying their trade, and vessels had
find their way from the breakwate
to Philadelphia without the guidan
n of buoys marking the shoals, they b
" ing removed so as not to interfe
,e with the deep water nets of the fishe
2 men. Today the fishermen are
scarce that they little Interfere wi
vessels traversing the Delaware. Il
:, scarcity of fish and the high cost
equipment and operations are t
causes for many quitting the industi
Shad Industry Will Become ExtinC
Efforts of both commissions will
to re-establish the industry by pl