Report of the Joint Special Committee of the General Assembly of Rhode Island, Appointed to Examine Into the Fisheries of Narragansett Bay

by Rhode Island General Bay

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1870 ... benefits to which every citizen is entitled. If traps and seines are permitted to obstruct the river to catch the fish, all species of fish will entirely vanish from the Narragansett Bay in less than ten years hence. 52. A good hook and line fisherman has earned $5.00 a day for five months, 10, 12 and 14 years ago. This last three years it was difficult to earn $10.00 a week. 53. All species of fish have become more scarce from year to year since 1856. 54. I attribute the difference to traps and seines of all descriptions. 56. My sincere opinion is that when a school of fish is coming up as far as Seconnet Point, running into a seine, that the precious few which escape will go down stream instead of up stream. 57. The scarcity of fish is not caused by scarcity of food. The ocean is the same as a hundred years ago, and the rivers which empty into it afford the same quality of matter or food for fish, especially in the Narragansett Bay. It cannot be equalled; neither is there enough of offal to affect the water; scarcely a drop to a whole barrel full. 58. I have this statement by theory, that fish will select the purest water to deposit spawn, while the male fish separates from the female fish for awhile and goes into deeper water; subsequently reunite into schools and appear on the surface. 62. It is my sincere opinion, and it is generally admitted by every fisherman, that scup, like other fish, come to the locality in which they were born, to deposit their own spawn, and will do so if unobstructed. 63. The appearance of spawn is red, from the first run of scup. 64. The spawn of scup becomes every day more developed, and finally becomes of a light yellow color. 66. It is a solemn fact, that horse mackerel has become even more scarce than scup, and seems ther...

50 pages, Paperback

Published February 9, 2012