Evening journal., 1922-04-25
Fishermen Ask for Right
to Use Seines in Canal

Delaware City. submitted one OF the
most important arguments in be-
half OF the modification OF the reg
ulations. O'Nears statement in
writing read:
"I am a resident OF Delaware City,
having resided in Delaware city al
Of my life. For the past thirty-hVe
years. I have fshed for German
carp and mud shad, with fve-lnch
mesh net in the wide or shoal waters
OF the Chesapeake and Delaware
canal. I Judge that there are. at
least. forty men OF Delaware CITY
and the neighborhood. who make
their living catching carp ana muu
shad IN the waters OF the cahal'
during the winter months OF each
wear. I have 80 made my living
from about the middle OF october
until the middle Of April in each
year. for the past thirty-hve years.
"The carp and shad are found
and caught in tho Wide waters OF
the canal. in depths not exceeding
from three TO nve feet. Up TO the
Hr,e Of the prohibition OF the use
OF nets in the canal, as made IN par
agraph 10 OF the regulations issued
on or about the 23rd OF December
1921 have been almost daily In
the canal during the fishing season,
attending to my nets and catching
fish. and during all OF this period
etending over about thirty-hve years
/ have never seen or known OF any
net belonging to any OF the numer-
Gus fishermen 20 interfere with the
navigation OF the canal. have
never myself, nor do / know or any
person spreading their net across
the channel OF the canal; IN TACT
the Ash are found In the shoal
waters instead OF the channel and
there is no object in spreading the
nets In the channel.
"The Ericsson Line boats pass
through the canal twice daily. and
Of my own knowledge. I know that
they have made no complaint or had
difhculty with the nets OF the Fish
trmen There are also a number OF
tugboats that do the principal tow
Ing through the canal winter and
summer Among these are the tug
Corinthia. OF which Thomas r. car
roll Is captain the tug Brandywine'
Of which 3. T. Reynolds is captain;
the tug Columbia and the tug 5. ii.
Hartman. / have seen each OF these
boats. with many others. daily pass
ing back and forth through the
canal, and I know OF my own
knowledge that they have never
been interfered with by the fisher
men or by their nets. and that their
officers will support my statement.
The German carp is known 20
destroy game fish found in the canal
and as they multiply very rapidly II
is my Judgment that they should oe
hshed out. In addition 10 this. they
are very plentiful In the canal. ano
although thirty-fve or forty fisher
men have made their living fshinl
in the canal during the wintel
months, for many years prior to th'
order OF December 2s. 1921, pro
hibiting fishing for carp by net, ye
there has always been plenty o
carp found IN the canal, so that sue
an order would not be useful for IN
purpose OF preserving or multiply
ing the fish Its only purpose coul
he. as indicated by the ofncer
charge. that the nets might obstru'
navigation.
Il have made diligent inquii
among the fishermen. among u
residents OF Delaware City and alor
the canal and Of the boats that regl
larly use Il for towing and oth'
purposes, and I know OF no con
plant having been made that n
nets OF the fishermen or their az
tions and conduct on the waters
the canal in any way interfered wit
or obsructed navigation.
"As ! have stated. / have made m
livelihood through about six month
Of the year in this way up until tn
time of the order denying the us
OF the canal to nets. The bushes
at times Is quie profitable, and
should say, year in and year out,
= produces me an income OF approx
mately 500 per month during tn
I fishing season, and ! understan
that other fishermen. who make
regular business OF fishing for carr
AAElhkt AUUnN AAt SAINT AAANNAAANf
that the business to the fishermen q
Delaware City and vicinity Is wort
from $4,000 to $4,000 per year
and Il is not only a very great hard
ship 10 myself but to many other
TO be denied the use OF the canal 70
this purpose.
Delaware City is located at tn
Delaware river terminus OF tn
Chesapeake and Delaware canal
has a population, according to tn
last census OF 1.047 people. Flshinl
In the canal has for many year
been an important industry. and tn
denial OF the right 10 flsh by tn
government has brought real distres
10 a great many people. residents o
Delaware City.
THE fishermen OF Delaware Cit
FISH for shad, trout. herring and stur
3 geon In the waters OF the Dclawar
b river. adjacent to Delaware cit,
during the spring and summe
e months. Their only opportunity /
e fish through the winter months
m that afforded by the ChesapealSe an
TO Delaware canal and paragraph !
.s. or the regulations above referred I
I'd as enforced. has placed the hshe
mn in a very serious predicamel
ay Prior to the time OF the adoption
lst this regulation, IL was not necessa
he as far as I am informed. for the <,
ernment or the canal company
Il engage the services OF a ward
watchman or deputy United sta
III marshal TO patrol the waters OF
canal. for the purpose OF seeing {
fishermen would keep out OF Il,
that they did not interfere v
navigation. The fishermen tn,
selves We're never cOmplai