The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-11-21
AGREEMENT IN
CRAB-F|sH FARLEY
Maryland And Virginia Execu-
tives Work Out Con-
servation Plan.
Annapolis

R0A~@~4
brought up for the conservation OF
crabs and fish were reached by Mary
land and Virginia authorities confer.
ring here.
-Four principal features concerning
crabs which seemed to call for rem.
edies were discussed and settled. Two
Of the propositions were made by Vir-
ginia' and two by Maryland. The agree
ments were:
Virginia will endeavor to prevent
the taking of sponge crabs SO far as
possible, and certainly at all other
times than from September / to De-
cember IL
Virginia will undertake to shorten
the winter dredging season by one
month, making it end April 1.
Maryland will stop the taking of
doubles"
Maryland will prevent the indis-
criminate storing of crabs in floats in
order that they may become "peelers."
AS both States now have Gull laws,
it was conceded all that is necessary
is to enforce the existing laws. Vir-
ginia proposes to endeavor to have
the minimum size for soft crabs that
may be taken increased from three
inches to three and half inches from
spike to spike. W. Mcdonald Lee,
Commissioner of Fisheries Of Vir-
ginia, said reports had reached him
that the Maryland Gull law in regard
to hard crabs was not being enforced
thoroughly. Swepson Earle, Conserva-
ton Commissioner of Maryland, prom
Used to see that the law is enforced
strictly.
In regard to shad and herring, it
was arranged that the authorities in
both States, chiefly in Virginia, will
endeavor to have all nets lifted from
Saturday evening until Monday morn
ing, so that the fish may get up to the
head Of the bay to spawn, Maryland
will set apart certain spawning
grounds in which taking of the fish
will be prohibited
Virginia will try to exterminate
carp, which are said to eat the fish
eggs deposited in the streams, and
Maryland will get in touch with the
promoters of the proposed hydro
electric power plant, near Conowingo,
with the object of having practical
runway constructed so that fish may
get past the dam,
Governor Richie and Gov. E. Lee
Trinkle, Of Virginia, were the central
figures in the conference, although
the technical and practical points were
discussed and put into concrete form
by Mr.. Earle and Mr.. Lee, with DR..
Louis Radcliffe and Oscar E. Settle, of
the United States Bureau Of Fisheries,
giving expert advice. The conference
proceeded rapidly and there was no
trace of disagreement on any point.
Prof. R. v. Truitt, biologist at the
University of Maryland and consulting
biologist for the Maryland Conserva-
ton Commissioner, and Robert H.
Archer, Assistant Attorney-G General of
Maryland, attended the conference.
The experts from the United States
Bureau of Fisheries approved the ar
rangements made, but Dr. Radcliffe
said he would not recommend any adj
ditional action until further studies
have been made and more data OBJ
tanned. He said that with the whole
United States to cover with a small
force 1t is impossible to get around to
any particular section more than once
in five years and he asked that Mary
land and Virginia each detail a man
to work with an agent of the bureau,
the Virginia man during the winter
and the Maryland man during the
summer. In this way, he explained,
the whole life of the crab could be
studied.
1t was demonstrated by the tech
nicians that about 80 per cent. of the
crabs in Virginia waters in the winter
are females, while in Maryland waters
In summer the conditions are re-
versed. The pairing is done in Mary
land waters and the young crabs are
Matched in Virginia. DR.. Radcliffe said
some fishermen have an idea the crabs
come into the bay from the ocean, but
this is erroneous, and both Maryland
and Virginia are fishing from COM
mon stock, which must be protected
or it will be destroyed in the near
future.
''In 1915 the gross catch Of crabs in
Maryland and Virginia was about So
100000 pounds" said DR.. Radcliffe.
ain 1920 it was less than 100000
pounds. No figures have been collected
since 1920, but 1t is estimated the
annual catch now is about 10000, 900
pounds. An industry which supports
10000 persons and produces 10000, 900
pounds Of valuable food annually,
worth $1,000,000, should be preserved"
1t was recognized that the proposed
changes will require legislation which
may not be obtained easily and which
L =