Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-02-16

On aions the Mississippi River betvee,
Winona and St. Paul; sweet fish. are
there in abundance. Probably il is tho
refuse from the great cities on the riv.
er that make for the particular Sweet
ness OF this choice delicacy of the
deep; nevertheless il forms an indus
try that as to commercial Importance
cannot be belittled. An idea OF how
vast are the numbers OF the carp ami
haw great is the market in the East may
De gathered from the following: The
hsh that are captured also include va
rious game fish, but these are thrown
back in the water, only the rough fish
kept The rough fish are loaded into
refrigerator cars, $4,000 pounds to a
car, and often as high as five cars are
made up, totaling 100000 pounds
which make their way over the rails
to the big cities, where they pass
through various hands, finally reaching
the stalls in the Ash marIe's where
they are purchased by consumers. The
fish are packed in the cars in an I'M
cleaned condition. Many cars are es-
pecially equipped with tanks of water
and the fish are kept alive in these :;
indeed, they are often sold alive in the
East Side markets.
Inc SEEMING Of the rough fish from
the Mississippi and other muddy rivers
is good work and no Fault is to be
found with it. But the fact that the
carp is found now in all clear water
lakes gives another angle to the mat.
ter. Lakes, too, are profitable fields
for commercial enterprise in rough
fish and are being given over to this
more freely than ever before. This
means but one thing-the elimination
OF our choice native fish as factors
Of Importance. In the past, hundreds
OF thousands of anglers have annually
gone to the clear water lakes, but toda,
some Of the once famous fishing
lakes see but a handful of boats on the
race or the waters.
Our lakes in the respect of fish and
fishing are blessed heritages not to be
wantonly desecrated; but they have
been desecrated; our waters are now
practically free of choice fish life. The
rough fish, such as carp, suckers,
buffalo and red horse, are increasing
prodigiously and the fish and game
commissions of the various States ap-
parently cannot be moved to attempt
the netting Of them to spare the better
fish, although letters pour into the Of
fees Of these officials clamoring that
it be done. These letters are not an.
swered. II they are answered the
main thread Of the protest is skillfully
evaded, a promise indirectly being
made that the condition is to be "look-
ed into"
A written protest against the condi-
ton Of rough fish in those waters
where they should not be permitted has
been turned down by newspapers in
two States. The question is a bother
some one. 1t should not be. The fish
can be removed from the lakes by SIM
ply running a net through them in the
practical and efficient manner OF which
the seiners make use. But the feeling
is apparent that the better fish do not
count, for they do not represent ready
money; the rough fish represent money
and therefore are permitted to increase
so that when the netting is made the
haul will be one entirely satisfactory
from the SPECTATORS point of view.
Our commercial fisheries are import
ant, but there are waters restricted for
such fishing and these waters should be
the legitimate grounds for the indus
try. Reference is here made to rivers
Of muddy nature, of waters which are
not fitted for the GAMER native fish.
Utter harm has been brought about by
the overrunnins of the beautiful lakes
by the rough fish which goes on I'M
abated and without anything being done
about it.
In States such as Minnesota, Wis
consin and Michigan, once the home of
some of the finest fish that abide in the
waters of North America, the better
fish are vanishing. The rough fish
have taken possession; have destroyed
the better fish by destroying the
spawn cast on the spawning grounds.
Canada has more wisely met this
nrnhlern hu fakinn the ,Itrnnct cara az