The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1949-10-14
Menhuden =. Facts And F0Ilocies

by the Mississippi seafood COM
mission entitled "Menhaden -
Facts and Fallacies." The text is
a report to Naif Jordan, commits
sion president, by DR.. James N.
Gowanloch, chief biologist for the
Louisiana conservation depart
ment. DR.. Gowanloch absolves
the "Pogie" industry of many of
the charges made against it by
sport fishermen and other COM
mereial fishers. Because of its i'm
portance to Jackson county, the
Chronicles Star and Advertiser is
reprinting it at lengthy
By DR.. James N. Gowanloch
QUESTION No. 2-Whether a
close season should be had. and
If so. what months Of the year?
The answer is no" Since Men
haden operations properly con-
Quoted do no damage at any time,
there is no reason why Menhaden
fishing operations should be re-
stricted by close seasons.
1t is my belief, based on expe-
rience with the Menhaden fish
cry, ranging from New York State
to Western Louisiana in space,
and from 1923 to the present time
in time, that no close season on
Menhaden fishing operations is
necessary since Menhaden fish
ing a only be conducted dur
ing the period when the Men
haden are sufficiently concen-
trated and, further, since the
practical operation of the Men
haden purse seine, as above stat
ed, can cause no damage to game
and other commercial fish, Grabs
and Oysters and to the nursery
grounds of these species.
QUESTION No. a. Within
what area or areas. If any should
these operations be restricted.
Menhaden operations cannot
catch game fish or other CONNER
cial fish when they are conduct
ed in the normal fashion. Prop
erly conducted Menhaden fish
ing operations will not affect the
habitat of game fish, other COM
mercial fish, Shrimp or Blue
Crabs (our commercial species),
or Oysters, and, furthermore, no
Menhaden fishery operator would
risk his expensive gear by using
it in a manner that would cause
such damage to the conditions OF
the bottom which forms the nur-
sery grounds for game fish, other
commercial fish, Shrimp and Blue
Crabs and Oysters because by SO
doing such gear would be SO
heavily damaged that the whole
operation could quickly become
Improbable.
QUESTION No. 40 furnish
any other information or facts
which would be helpful to tn e
Seafood Commission.
The essential facts concerned
have been presented above in
the reply to Question No. l..
1t is, however, my belief that
these recommendations might
well be in order.
|. That an intermittent a n d
completely unannounced check
be conducted by some competent
person engaged by the Mississippi
Seafood Commission, and that
some representative of the sports
mems and other commercial fish
ermen's interests be present at
least occasionally ION such un-
heralded checks on the Menhaden
catch and that such representa-
tive be provided with a transcript
of the record of the examination
of the catch for his own use, and
that he be asked to follow most
closely every step in such exam
ination of the days Menhaden
operations. This, l believe, would
be one of the most effective ways
to establish the absence of dam
age by Menhaden fishing to game
fish and other commercial inter-
ests. Any possible criticism that
such inspections were made in
collision with the Menhaden
fishery operators should be by
careful planning completely
eliminated. l know of no more eff
fective way in which persons not
familiar with the gear, operation
and handling of the Menhaden
catch can more quickly realize the
fact that Menhaden fishing does
not damage game and other COM
mercial fish. l should further rec
ommend that two coordinated ac-
tivities be directed toward the
control of the Menhaden fishing
in the State of Mississippi.
A. That there be required from
every Menhaden operating plant
monthly a worn statement pro-
viding the following information:
Cd The total number of Men
baden taken.