﻿MENHADEN 
  INDUSTRY 
  OF 
  THE 
  ATLANTIC 
  COAST. 
  13* 
  

  

  CAPTURE 
  OF 
  EDIBLE 
  FISH. 
  

  

  Much 
  has 
  been 
  said 
  during 
  past 
  years 
  regarding 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  edible 
  

   fish 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  menhaden 
  nets 
  for 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  fish 
  scrap. 
  

   That 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  such 
  fish 
  actually 
  taken 
  in 
  purse 
  seines 
  with 
  the 
  

   menhaden 
  is, 
  however, 
  too 
  inconsiderable 
  for 
  discussion 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  

   conclusively 
  shown. 
  Wliile 
  the 
  menhaden 
  are 
  being 
  taken 
  aboard 
  the 
  

   steamer 
  the 
  cook 
  usually 
  stands 
  over 
  the 
  hold 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  pole, 
  in 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  hook, 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  removing 
  the 
  edible 
  fish 
  

   which 
  are 
  wanted 
  for 
  the 
  sliip's 
  mess; 
  his 
  keen 
  eye 
  misses 
  few 
  mack- 
  

   erel, 
  trout, 
  etc., 
  but 
  even 
  with 
  this 
  vigilance 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  secure 
  

   enough 
  to 
  provide 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  crew. 
  The 
  writer 
  spent 
  a 
  day 
  on 
  one 
  

   of 
  the 
  largest 
  steamers 
  owned 
  in 
  Virginia, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  total 
  catch 
  of 
  

   240,000 
  menhaden 
  for 
  the 
  day 
  there 
  were 
  only 
  8 
  mackerel 
  and 
  10 
  

   bluefish. 
  At 
  times, 
  however, 
  the 
  vessels 
  may 
  strike 
  a 
  school 
  of 
  some 
  

   edible 
  species 
  and 
  carry 
  them 
  to 
  market; 
  it 
  is 
  probably 
  safe 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  

   such 
  fish 
  are 
  never 
  converted 
  into 
  scrap. 
  The 
  Virginia 
  captains 
  have 
  

   explicit 
  instructions 
  to 
  avoid 
  taking 
  food 
  fish, 
  and 
  an 
  instance 
  is 
  on 
  

   record 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  proficient 
  captains 
  in 
  the 
  business 
  being 
  

   dismissed 
  for 
  disobeying 
  the 
  order. 
  

  

  Considerable 
  quantities 
  of 
  alewives, 
  caught 
  in 
  pound 
  nets 
  fished 
  in 
  

   Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  and 
  tributaries, 
  are 
  sold 
  to 
  the 
  menhaden 
  factories 
  

   located 
  at 
  various 
  points 
  on 
  the 
  bay 
  ; 
  the 
  nets 
  are 
  fished 
  primarily 
  for 
  

   the 
  purpose 
  of 
  supplying 
  the 
  alewife 
  packing 
  houses, 
  but 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  

   frequently 
  greater 
  than 
  the 
  capacity 
  of 
  the 
  houses 
  and 
  the 
  fishermen 
  

   appeal 
  to 
  the 
  menhaden 
  factories 
  to 
  send 
  their 
  steamers 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  

   surplus 
  fish 
  off 
  their 
  hands. 
  This 
  custom 
  prevails 
  especially 
  about 
  

   the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  in 
  Maryland 
  waters, 
  where 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  the 
  

   pound 
  nets 
  includes 
  not 
  only 
  alewives 
  but 
  many 
  perch 
  which 
  are 
  too 
  

   small 
  to 
  be 
  marketed. 
  

  

  The 
  argument 
  offered 
  in 
  defense 
  of 
  tliis 
  is 
  that 
  inasmuch 
  as 
  the 
  fish 
  

   are 
  trapped 
  and 
  die 
  in 
  the 
  nets 
  it 
  is 
  better 
  to 
  sell 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  converted 
  

   into 
  fertiUzer, 
  and 
  thus 
  serve 
  the 
  farmer 
  and 
  consumers 
  generally, 
  

   than 
  to 
  pollute 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  throwing 
  them 
  overboard. 
  Despite 
  the 
  

   claim 
  by 
  the 
  factory 
  owners 
  who 
  send 
  steamers 
  after 
  these 
  fish 
  that 
  

   they 
  do 
  so 
  at 
  a 
  loss 
  and 
  would 
  rather 
  not 
  be 
  troubled 
  with 
  them, 
  

   and 
  that 
  they 
  would 
  welcome 
  legislation 
  prohibiting 
  handling 
  them, 
  

   there 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  spirit 
  of 
  jealousy 
  among 
  them, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  first 
  

   steamer 
  goes 
  others 
  usually 
  foUow. 
  An 
  additional 
  and 
  very 
  strong 
  

   argument 
  against 
  this 
  practice 
  is 
  the 
  storm 
  of 
  protest 
  and 
  condemna- 
  

   tion 
  brought 
  upon 
  the 
  menhaden 
  factories 
  by 
  various 
  persons, 
  who 
  

   gain 
  an 
  midue 
  impression 
  of 
  tlie 
  number 
  of 
  echble 
  fish 
  that 
  are 
  made 
  

   into 
  scrap. 
  

  

  Large 
  quantities 
  of 
  alewife 
  cuttings 
  from 
  the 
  packing 
  houses 
  are 
  

   utiHzed 
  at 
  the 
  menhaden 
  factories, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  impossible 
  to 
  secure 
  

   definite 
  data 
  regarding 
  the 
  amount, 
  as 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  kept 
  separate 
  from 
  tlie 
  

  

  