BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 223 



121 IVEKO OF A rVATIOIVAl, I^AW TO KEOUI.ATE THE SIZE OF 



]T1E»II OF UOTH FOUIND Ai^D ailLt. NETS ON THE OREAT £,AKES. 



By I.AFI.IW & CO., 



Wholesale Dealers in Oystei's and FisTi. 



[From ca letter to Prof. S. F. Baird.] 



We would respectfully call your attention to the sizeof the whitefish 

 now being canglit at Saint Joseph, Mich. A fisherman tells us that 

 three years ago large quantities of young whitefish were put in the water 

 there. This spring the same whitefish are being taken out by the tons. 

 The fish are small, only half grown, and will not endure warm weather 

 long after being taken ; they are about 8 or 9 inches in length. If 

 they were allowed to grow another year they would increase in quan- 

 tity and the same fish be a No. 1 fish. The reckless waste of the fish is 

 due to the men fishing there with small mesh gill-nets. We are told 

 some of the meshes are only 3J inches. If there was a national law pre- 

 venting the using of any gill-nets less than 4f or 4§ inches mesh, these 

 small fish would escape and mature into good solid fish. The majority 

 of regular fishermen around the lakes favor stringent laws preventing 

 the taking of small fish, but take no steps, as they don't want to incur 

 the ill-will of their neighbors who use small nets. 



Chicago, III., {No. 40 State street), April 25, 1884. 



We send you a sample in alcohol of the quality of whitefish caught 

 at Saint Joseph, Mich. You can see the fish are immature, and if not 

 caught for one or two years more would become large, besides increasing 

 in numbers by si)awning. No State law will reach these parties, for the 

 reason that State or city ofQcers will not push people when they depend 

 on their popularity at home for appointment or election, and besides 

 the mischief is done outside of the jurisdiction of the State of Michigan. 

 Michigan City does nearly as much fishing, and that is in the State of 

 Indiana. At the northern end of the lake it would be hard to determine 

 which State had jurisdiction, Michigan or Wisconsin. In many cases 

 fishermen go 20 and 30 miles away to fish and bring their fish with steam- 

 tugs to shipping points. They could easily prove if arrested in one 

 State that fish were caught in the waters of another State. A national 

 law could be enforced in many places by the Life Saving Service assisted 

 by the revenue cutters. To limit the size of meshes of both pound and 

 gill-nets for next season would work no hardship on fishermen, as they 

 renew their seines each spring. The fish are literally caught out in 

 I^ake Michigan, and where there ought to be a large source of food sup- 

 ply to a rapidly filling country, it is being foolishly wasted by a few 

 men to make a living for the time being, who do not intend to stay in 

 the business permanently. 



