FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1926 405 
FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES, 1913 TO 1925 
For many years some of the border States on the Great Lakes 
have been collecting annual statistics of the yield of their respective 
lake fisheries.2 However, until recently no attempt was made to 
unify and publish these statistics so that the data would be in com- 
parable form. Inasmuch as the fisheries of the Great Lakes are of 
great commercial importance, and as unusual interest has been shown 
lately concerning the diminished catches of several important species, 
it has seemed desirable that these State statistics should be brought 
together and published. Figures from the State sources for the 
years 1913 to 1924 are already available, having been obtained in a 
tariff survey of the lake fisheries. ‘To bring these up to date, the 
bureau obtained figures for 1925 from the State records. Statistics 
for the Canadian Great Lakes fishery for 1913 to 1925, obtained 
from official reports, also are included to complete the picture. 
SCIENTIFIC AND COMMON NAMES 
Confusion always has existed in the common names of the fishes 
of the Great Lakes. In many cases a certain species, when taken 
in two or more lakes, or even in several localities of the same lake, 
is called by a different name. On some occasions this name may be 
the same as that applied to a different species in another lake. More- 
over, some groups of species are known by a single common name. 
Inasmuch as this condition exists, it is impossible to adopt a natural 
system of nomenclature, for the itemization of trade statistics is 
limited to trade names or categories. The names used in this report 
are those most commonly used by the trade; and where the trade 
groups various species under one name, the same grouping is followed 
in this report. Also, where the trade divides one species into two 
categories, the same division has been followed. Thus, the cisco of 
Lake Erie, differimg in economic importance from the herring of the 
other lakes, has been listed separately, although they have been con- 
sidered as one species in scientific literature. In the table of names 
that follows it will be noted that certain species appear as ‘‘not 
specified” in certain States. This means that the species may not 
be taken commercially in the waters of that State, or it may have 
occurred only in small quantities and may have been included with 
similar varieties or with the item ‘‘miscellaneous.’? The detailed 
classification of all fishes in the various States may be found in 
the table. 

3 Each of the eight border States of the Great Lakes has an agency with legislative authority to collect 
or receive certain fisheries statistics, but only six of them regularly collect data. These are New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The fisheries of the other two (Indiana and 
Illinois) are relatively unimportant. In 1922 the combined catch of Indiana and Illinois approximated 
1,137,000 pounds, or only about 1 per cent of the total Great Lakes catch. 
In New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin statistics on the fisheries are returned at the 
close of the year in which the fisheries were prosecuted. In Minnesota statistics for Lake Superior are 
for the calendar year, but for the Lake of the Woods they are for the season beginning Dec. 1 and ending 
rida ule ion Ohio separate reports are made for the two fishing seasons—Mar. 15 to Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 
0 Dec. 15, 
It is the law in some States and the custom in others for the State to furnish printed statistical schedules 
to fishermen. These usually are mailed to the licensees, filled in by them, and returned to the State agency. 
There is considerable difference in the diligence with which the several agencies enforce their statistical 
powers. Some of them remind delinquents by correspondence of their failure to report, and others invoke 
the authority of the law-enforcing officers. Only one State fails to make a bookkeeping comparison 
between the license records and the statistical report. 
