were not projected because their potential yields 

 would be insignificant (see Table 6). 



Haul 



seme 



catch 



es 



The U.S. haul seine production in the western 

 basin in 1969 totaled 5.6 million lb. However, 

 if all low-value fish had been kept, the total 

 would have been 7.3 million lb (Table 6). Most 

 of the increased yield would have consisted of 

 freshwater drum, goldfish, carp, and gizzard 

 shad. 



A possible discrepancy arises in estimates be- 

 cause it is not known how continuous landings 

 of discarded fish affect the catches in subsequent 

 hauls. Continuous cropping would probably re- 

 duce the population faster than it could be re- 

 placed by movement from unfished areas and by 

 growth and recruitment. However, large quan- 

 tities of these low-value species were sometimes 

 present at the seining grounds a few days after 

 sizable landings had been made. In fact, seine 

 hauling was frequently discontinued because of 

 an overabundance of low-value fish, which forced 

 temporary gluts in an unstable market. In gen- 

 eral, I believe that the poundages of the dis- 

 carded catches from haul seines represented only 

 a small portion of the vast populations of low- 

 value fishes that were lightly exploited. 



Trap net catches 



In 1969, trap net yield from the U.S. portion 

 of the western basin totaled 2.4 million lb. The 

 low-value fishes could have contributed another 

 1.1 million lb if the discards had been kept, to 

 yield a total trap net production of 3.5 million lb 

 (Table 6). Most of the estimated increase in 

 production would have consisted of carp, suck- 

 ers, freshwater drum, and goldfish. Although 

 the projected yield of the low-value fishes by trap 

 nets was 4.6 million lb less than for haul seines, 

 it appears that the potential catch of these spe- 

 cies by trap nets could (with a moderate in- 

 crease in fishing eflFort) equal and possibly ex- 

 ceed that from haul seines without endangering 

 the resource. 



Combined catches 



The combined production for haul seines and 

 trap nets in U.S. waters of the western basin in 



1969 totaled over 8.0 million lb, and was worth 

 about $990,000 to the fishermen on the basis of 

 the value of the total U.S. commercial catch from 

 Lake Erie in 1969. The nearly 2.8 million lb of 

 discarded low-value fishes, if landed at a price of 

 2<t per pound, would have had an added cash 

 value of $55,000 to the fishermen. Although the 

 value of the discarded portion seems small, this 

 additional poundage represents a 34 9r increase 

 in yield over the 1969 production in U.S. waters 

 of the western basin. Furthermore, the harvest 

 of low-value species by haul seines and trap nets 

 could be increased considerably and probably 

 sustained. 



CONCLUSIONS 



Although no specific information on levels of 

 abundance of low-value fishes in Lake Erie is 

 available, the harvest of these species could be 

 substantially increased over the projected 1969 

 total of 7.9 million lb, with little or no loss in 

 production from the other State and Provincial 

 waters of the lake. 



The biological capacity of Lake Erie to pro- 

 duce fish appears to be as high as ever although 

 the trend toward dominance of low-value spe- 

 cies in the lake, particularly in the western basin, 

 seems likely to continue in the foreseeable future. 

 A recent study of the numerous problems con- 

 tributing to the decline of the commercial fishery 

 in the Ohio waters of Lake Erie emphasized the 

 need for industry to adjust its operations to a 

 changing resource base if it is to survive (Lewis, 

 1966) . Change offers the industry a great chal- 

 lenge and also its greatest opportunity. It ap- 

 pears that an increased commercial harvest of 

 low-value species can be compatible with, and 

 even benefit, the sport fishery. Sound fishery 

 management in western Lake Erie may even re- 

 quire a greater commercial exploitation of these 

 low-value fishes. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



I thank commercial fishermen Thomas Smith, 

 Ted Sandersen, and Larry Davis for their co- 

 operation during the visits to the fishing 

 grounds; the Ohio Division of Wildlife, San- 

 dusky, and the Ontario Department of Lands and 



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