116 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



pounds of whitefish, and in 1884, 170,000 pounds ; an increase of 19 tons 

 for 1884." 



George Wiune, of Locust Point, says : " I fish gill-nets on the reefs 

 off Toussaint Point. In 1883 I caught 2 tons of whitefish from 60 nets, 

 and in 1884, 6 tons from 36 nets. A few years ago it got so it did not 

 pay to go out on the reefs to fish, and I quit and went sailing. Since 

 the planting of young whitefish has been carried on fish have become 

 more numerous and I have done very well fishing, but best this last 

 fall. Think if the planting is not kept up whitefish will soon become 

 scarce again. Think a much greater percentage of eggs put into hatch- 

 eries will live to become mature fish than those deposited on the reefs 

 by the fish themselves, for the reason that the former are protected 

 from their enemies while hatching, and after the young fish are planted 

 their chances are just as good." 



M. Shepherd, also of Locust Point, states: "Am fishing 15 pound- 

 nets off Locust Point. My catch the past season was about as usual — 

 no material difference. Think the hatching business a good thing, but 

 the proper place for a hatchery is on one of the islands ; then the eggs 

 would have the natural water, and when the fish are planted there 

 would be no change from the water they were hatched into that which 

 they are planted in." 



Nelson Parsons, a practical fisherman of Vermillion, says: "I have 

 watched the fishing interests very closely for a number of years, and 

 noticed that whitefish were steadily decreasing in numbers, until the 

 supply was replenished by the planting of young fish from the hatch- 

 eries. If something of the kind had not been clone, I think that white- 

 fish would, ere this, have become so scarce that it would not pay to fish 

 for them. Formerly, we used to catch whitefish of all sizes at the same 

 ti me, but this season at Cleveland, where I was, the fish were nearly all of 

 one size — looked as if they were all of the same age, and I believe they 

 were a school of the planted fish. I think if fishing is continued it must 

 be done in this way." 



Edson & Nichols, of Vermillion, caught one ton less of whitefish in 

 1884 than inj.883, but say: "We do not attribute the falling off to a 

 growing scarcity, but to the direction and amount of wind, which is 

 everything to us here iu the fishing season. We think the hatching 

 business of great importance, and the only way of keeping up the 

 fishing industry." 



Bert Parsons, also of Vermillion, caught no more whitefish in his 

 pound nets off Vermillion in 1884 than in 1883, but caught double the 

 number in his gill-nets near the islands. He says : " I think if there 

 had been favorable Minds for pound-net fishing we would have caught 

 more than double the amount of whitefish in our pound-nets last fall. I 

 know the business of planting has been of great benefit, for in my gill- 

 nets fished about the islands I caught double the quantity last fall that 

 I did the year before. The figures are : 1883, 5 tons ; 1884, 10 tons." 



