The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-03-20
EXTINCTION OF
SHAD FACED
Chesapeake Supply Would Be
Exhausted In Ten Years At
Present Rate, He Warns.

The Maryland shad within the next
10 years will become extinct unless
drastic measures to protect the pres.
emit supply are invoked, Swepson
Earle, State Conservation Commits
sioner announced.
Steady depletion occurring since
1890. when about 100000 pounds Of
shad were taken from Maryland
waters, reached lowest level in 1921
when the catch was only 1,807,174
pounds, increasing demand. for the
fish, however, resulted in jump in
the price in 1921 and fishermen re.
ceived $347.396 that year for their
catch, as compared to $247,S09 in
1890.
Since 1921 the supply has been SO
greatly depleted that in few years
the Maryland shad will be prohibitive
in price and only protective legisla
ton will save it from extinction, &C
cording to Earle.
National legislation with uniform
regulations applying to all states is
the aim of the United States Bureau
Of Fisheries and offers the only rem
edy for the situation, Earle said. The
shad is a migratory fish, he pointed
out, and in it's period of development
lives in the waters of several states
These regulations would prohibit
the sale, of shad roe, probably shorten
the season for catching shad and also
offer plan for effective propagation
work in the various states.
The power dam at McCall's Ferry
on the Susquehanna river, is largely
responsible for the scarcity of shad
in that section, despite the erection
of fish-way at the time the dam
was built, Earle said. Unlike the sal
mon, the shad is not a climbing
fish," and because of the dam, the
Susquehanna has been practically
deserted as spawning ground.
The Public Service Commission has
assured Commissioner Earle that be-
fore the Conowingo power project is
approved the promoters must agree
to provide an adequate fish-way at the
the proposed dam. The apparatus
| must be approved by Earle and the
United States Bureau of Fisheries and
will cost in the neighborhood Of
100000.
This scarcity in shad is not con.
fined to Maryland waters, but extends
all along the South Atlantic coast.
Plans To Plant Oysters On Bay Bars
Oysters on bars in Chesapeake Bay
areas known as Parker Moore and
Hog Island will be spread over an
area, including Hog IIsland, of more
than 900 acres, it was announced by
Swepson Earle, State Conservation
Commissioner
This will be done, Mr.. Earle ex-
planned, because oysters on bars in
the Hog Island territory are SO thick
that they impede their own growth.
When the oysters are transplanted
they will be distributed in the proper
ton of $50 bushels to the acre, Mr..
Earle said.
I'VE also shall start the work of
transplanting oysters from Hodges
Bar to Hog Island" he said. "A re-
cent investigation showed that about
80 per cent; of the oysters on Hodges
Bar still are alive, the rest having
been killed by the inundation of this
area with fresh water from the foods
Of last year.
These operations may result. in the
production of 100000 bushels of oys-
tiers on the Hog Island area for mar
keting next year"
Easton And Queen Anne Road Planned
Easton. - A State road, connecting
Easton with Queen Anne, will be built
in the near future. This week survey
ors were at work on the route from
Cordeva to Queen Anne, distance of
four miles. They were surveying a
route which ran most of the way par