XXII HEPOKT TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 



nicrea.se of 7 per cent in value, as compared with the amount and 

 vahie of the catcli in 1921. The decrease in quantity was due ahnost 

 entireh' to a reduction in the menhaden catch, although bluefish, 

 scup, and squeteagues also registered severe reductions. 



Oysters, ^vith a production of 39,511,192 pounds, or 5,644,456 

 bushels, valued at $6,171,429, were the most valuable fishery product 

 of these States. Others in point of value were clams, 1,745,212 

 pounds or 207,931 bushels, valued at $722,422 ; flounders, 10,520,292 

 pounds, valued at $609,486; squeteagues or weakfish, 9,400,776 

 pounds, valued at $600,994; haddock, 17,023.230 pounds, valued at 

 $497,432; scallops, 1,415.292 pounds, or 235,882 bushels, valued at 

 $375,879; lobsters, 1,119,144 pounds, valued at $330,567; and butter- 

 fish, 4,088,702 pounds, valued at $320,250. 



FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 192 6 



The fisheries of the Great Lakes produced 102,798,000 pounds of 

 fish in 1926, w^hich represents an increase of 3 per cent wiien com- 

 pared with the production in 1925. Of the total production in 1926. 

 the United States accounted for 75,300,000 pounds, which is an in- 

 crease of 9 per cent over the previous year, and Canada accounted 

 for 27,498,000 pounds, which represents a decrease of 12 per cent 

 under a year ago. 



The fisheries of Lake Erie ranked first, with a production of 

 33,809,000 pounds. The productions of Lakes Huron and Michigan 

 were 20,6i5,()00 and 20.495,000 pounds, respectively. The yield of 

 Lake Superior amounted to 17,747,000 pounds, that of Lake Ontario 

 to 5,015,000 pounds, and that of Lake of the AVoods, Rain}^ Lake, 

 and Namekan Lake to 5,117,000 pounds. 



The catches of the more important species were as follows : Lake 

 herring, 19,330,000 pounds; lake trout, 17,992,000 pounds; blue pike, 

 12.392,000 pounds; whitefish, 9,947,000 pounds; yellow perch. 

 7,363,000 pounds; and chubs, 7,043,000 pounds. The catch of lake 

 herring was considerably more than in any year since 1920, that of 

 lake trout has remained virtually constant diu'ing the past 10 years, 

 that of blue pike has shown a slight decline since 1921, and that of 

 whitefish has remained stable since 1913. The catch of yellow perch 

 was the largest since 1921 and that of chubs the largest since 1918. 

 The catch of cisco, which amounted to 3,022,000 pounds in 1926, was 

 the smallest on record, representing a decrease of 47 per cent as 

 compared with the previous year and 91 per cent as compared with 

 1924. 



TECHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



The technological work of the bureau is dedicated to the elimination 

 of loss in the fishery industries by utilizing the material generally 

 wasted, making existing processes more economical or replacing them 

 by new methods, or by making investigations and spreading infor- 

 mation concerning new uses for fishery products. To do this, the 

 bureau supplies the industry Avith the best scientific information 

 available and conducts investigations that promise to be of general 

 imjjortance and which the bureau is equipped to prosecute. It has 



