80 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



lakes, such as the Red Lakes and the Boundary Lakes of Minnesota; 

 and the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The U.S. waters of the 

 Great Lakes, which for years have produced at an annual rate in excess 

 of 70 milHon pounds^, have provided — in addition to those species pre- 

 viously mentioned — yellow perch, ciscoe, lake herring, and sheepshead. 

 The fisheries of the inland lakes, which have had an annual production 

 of about 20 milhon pounds^, produce essentially tullibee (a variety of 

 lake herring), suckers, burbot, walleye, and various rough fish. The 

 Mississippi River system has produced at an annual rate of about 50 

 million pounds of fish^; the catch has consisted primarily of carp, buffalo, 

 sheepshead, catfish, and bullheads. 



Traditional Production Methods 



Of the various gear employed, the gill net has accounted for at least 

 half the total catch in the Great Lakes and Boundary Lakes. Trap nets, 

 pound nets, haul seines, and other gear^° have also been extensively 

 used in the fishery. Generally, most of the species caught were of suffi- 

 ciently high value to warrant the high labor costs of such fishing methods. 

 Fishing vessels were small and possessed limited storage facilities; refrig- 

 eration systems for holding the catch were unheard of, and handling 

 methods were strictly by hand labor. 



Fishing methods of the river fisheries have been relatively primitive, 

 and although gill nets and haul seines were generally used for rough fish, 

 the high-value species usually have been taken by set or snag lines. Such 

 fish frequently have been kept in live-boxes prior to local marketing. 



Shore facilities were little more than sheds for sorting, hand-dressing, 

 and boxing the catch, and for repair and storage of gear. Ice was generally 

 used on the high-value fish for rail shipment or trucking to distant cities. 

 Mechanical refrigeration systems for freezing fish were uncommon. Some 

 species were smoked for market. Most fishermen had at their shore 

 facihty a small smokehouse where large chub and some trout and white- 

 fish were smoked for eastern and midwest markets. 



Prior to World War II, therefore, these traditional fisheries were rela- 

 tively stable and simple operations with little capital investment in 

 vessels and equipment or processing facilities and with Httle flexibility 

 in fishing or production methods. Further, market outlets, although well- 

 defined, were relatively local and dependent upon specific population 

 groups. Perhaps most important, the products of this fishery had limited 

 shelf-life, and markets suffered frequent saturation due to periodic glut 

 production with resultant price-breaks. The industry up to the 1940's 

 could best be described as static and traditional. 



