The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-09-30

TENDER.
II is clearly established by our
researches, and completely sus-
tanned by subsequent ~investiga-
tons, that these eggs, which are
only one one-hundredth of an
inch in diameter, are discharged
Immediately by the female into
the sea water and are not carried
by her as are the eggs of the
River Shrimp, the !Crayfish, the
Crab and the Florida Lobster.
Thereafter, these eggs, which
hatch within fifteen hours into
an extremely primitive larval
form, undergo rapidly thirteen
changes until they assume, at
the length of one-twelfth of an
inch, the appearance in miniature
of their parents. Strangely, but
perfectly truly, these young
Shrimp grow up only in the in
shore waters. If they remain at
sea, they die. Incapable of swim
ming because of their feeble
powers, they are brought by cur-
rents into these nursery grounds
which include bays, bayous and
certain other sheltered beaches.
This is not a matter of surmise
but a matter of careful scientific
research extending over a period
of eighteen years. When the
young commercial Shrimp at
their length of one-twelfth inch
descend to the bottom, they begin
to grow very rapidly, as much as
one and two-fifth inches a month
in length. Then, having attained
a length of usually two inches
(away under legal size), they be-
gin to migrate seward, and the
Shrimp population of Mississippi
Sound, Chandelier Sound and
the coasts of Louisiana and Texas
is constantly fed by this supply.
That is the reason for the sum-
mer close season on commercial
Shrimp.
The important point is that
there is no way that a purse seine
could possibly catch these minute
Shrimp. Furthermore, there is no
way that the economic operation
of a purse seine could destroy the
nursery grounds for these Shrimp.
Furthermore, these nursery
grounds are of profound import
ance for many species of fish and
other highly valuable seafoods,
i. e., for example, the Spanish
Mackerel, the Reddish, the King
Maekerel, the Reddish the
Speckled Trout (not really a
Trout, the White Trout DIETER
called the Sand Trout, the King
fish, the Black Drum and the
Sheepshead, the Blue Crab (our
commercial Crab for which we
have on the Gulf Coast the high
est potential production in the
entire United States, and the Oys-
ter. Not one of these young stages
of these Immensely valuable ma
rine resources can be captured or
damaged by the use of a purse
seine.
The use of the Mennaden purse
seine does not disturb these nur-
sery ground conditions and its
use is quite incapable of captur-
ing the young of the highly i'm
portant game and commercial
fish, Shrimps, Crabs and Oysters
themselves. This fact is in sharp
contrast to the damage done by
certain other types of fishing gear
to such nursery grounds. The
Menhaden fisherman who would
use his highly costly gear in such
a manner that such use would de-
stroy the nursery grounds would
so heavily damage his gear that
he would very quickly be driven
out of business.
The problem also involves the
place of Menhaden as a source of
food for game fish and for other
commercial fish. Pearson Q93D
and Gunter Q941 examined six
hundred stomachs of Speckled
Trout and Red Fish taken over a
period of two years and found
that less than two dozen Men
haden were present as food. Most
recent work done under the di-
rection of Baughman by Robin.
son provides the following strik-
ing facts:
First, Menhaden were fairly
abundant at the time these inves-
legations we're conducted. Second,
the species were seldom taken,
In the Stomachs of only two King
fish and two Sharks out of four
hundred and five fish examined
we're Menhaden found.
The fish thus examined were
taken by beach SEEMING and bv
hook and line fishing. Robinson's
figures show the certainly start
hing subsequent fact that out of a
total of two thousand nine hun
dred and seventeen fish stomachs