Kennebec and Androscoggin Rivers
1788 -- Petition of the Committee of Brunswick protesting overfishing
in Merrymeeting Bay.
"To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts in the general Court assembled in Boston, June 14, 1788.
The Petition of the Community of the Town of Brunswick in the County of
Cumberland Humbly Sheweth in behalf and by order of said town in Town Meeting
legally assembled that they have with concern seen many people seaning [seining]
and joining driving nets together for the same and making wares [weirs]
or machines and dipping out of season for salmon which in our opinion is
Destructive and if not speedily stopped will end in final ruin of the fish
in Merrey Meeting bay and river running into the same from which the poor
gets supplyies otherwise would suffer.
Therefore your humble petitioners prays this Honorable Court that they would
Lengthen the time for the Act now in force for fishing till the tenth of
June when the fish at that time get up where they Cast their Spawn and instead
of the 10th of June maybe the 10th of November or the whole year and that
the people may have the time Lengthened to fish from monday sunrising until
Saturday sunrising in very week only debar them from seaning and building
wares and from dipping Salmon which this town is much against with many
thinking judicious men in our neighboring towns, the Law as it now stands
gives one part of the Comunity a privilege over the rest, and the fine now
so small that the Law is not regarded.
We therefore pray that the fine be not less than ten pounds for any one
to pay that breaks the law after it is amended and past, the reason against
it continue is that at certain places where the fish play and resort to
Cast their Spawn and the seans hawl the spawn out of the mursels and other
fish eat them and also breaks the schools of fish only a few able men receive
the profits whilst the poor man is wronged who fishes with a small driving
net we humbly pray your Honours to take the whole matter in to your wise
consideration and make the Law, so as to answer the good purpose of saving
and preserving the fish Called Salmon, Shad and Alewives in the County aforesaid
and that no wares be built on any part of the River Kenebeck from the Sea
to the head of the tide on said River to take fish and your Petitioner
as in Duty Bound Shall Ever pray.
John Peterson, Thomas Thompson,
Committee of Brunswick, June ye 16th 1788
Source: Baxter, James P., editor. 1910. Documentary History of the State
of Maine Containing the Baxter Manuscripts. Vols. 22. Maine Historical Society.
Lefavor-Tower Company. Portland, Maine. pp. 36-37.
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