REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. 123 



unmerchantable condition sold after fattening- for $6 per barrel in 

 Philadeliihia. It is ])elieved that at the close of the next oyster season 

 definite plans of a plant and a method of operating it can be placed 

 before the oyster-planters of the country. At present the Connnission 

 does not feel prepared definitely to recommend the method. 



INQUIRY REGARDING DESTRUCTION OF OYSTERS BY DRUM-FISH. 



In the latter part of June, 1902, the attention of the Commission was 

 called to the destruction wrought by the drum-fish {Pogoiiias ci^omis) 

 in the vicinit}^ of Tuckerton, New Jersey, and Dr. H. F. Moore was at 

 once sent to that place to make an investigation and if possible deter- 

 mine what measures should l)e taken to mitigate the losses. Oyster- 

 growing is the main industry of Tuckerton, and most of the available 

 oyster bottoms of Little Egg Harbor and Great Bay are taken up by 

 persons living in that town and its vicinit3^ Although there is some 

 good spawning-ground in these waters, the industry is mainly depend- 

 ent on seed brought from other localities. Until within a few years, 

 most of it was brought from Chesapeake Ba}" and other parts of Vir- 

 ginia, but recently it was discovered that seed from Long Island and 

 Connecticut grew with remarkable rapidity when laid down in that 

 vicinity, and it has since been heavily purchased, almost to the exclu- 

 sion of other seed. It is stated that in some instances seed oysters 

 from Great South Bay, Long Island, have increased 1:00 per cent in 

 bulk within a period of six months, and to a somewhat greater extent 

 in value. 



For several years past the oystermen have sustained losses for 

 which they could account only by attributing them to theft, but in the 

 spring of 1901 it was discovered that the drum-fish was eating the 

 young oj^sters in considerable quantities, and during the spring of 

 1902 the destruction became so great as to demand concerted action 

 upon the part of the oystermen. A meeting was held at Tuckerton, 

 at which most of the principal planters were present, and a fund was 

 created to defray the expenses of fighting the common enemy. Spe- 

 cial permission having been obtained from the State authorities, an 

 attempt was made to kill the fish and drive them away by dynamite 

 and nets. The nets used were some that had been discarded by stur- 

 geon fishermen, and had a mesh of about 14 inches extension measure, 

 rather too large for the drum-fish. They were set at random over the 

 o^^ster beds and at first made fair catches, but their efficiency gradually 

 decreased, owing, the oystermen supposed, to the fish being frightened 

 away, though it seems very probable that the fish deserted the beds 

 owing to their practical depletion and to their consequent loss of attrac- 

 tion to the fish which came upon them in search of food. 



At the time of the visit of Dr. Moore about 100 pounds of dynamite 

 had been exploded during four days' work, and about 1,000 fish of 

 large size had been killed. The dynamite is not used on the 03'ster 



