STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1903. 



The report of the fisheries of the Great Lalces here presented is for 



the calendar year 1903. The inquiry on which it is based was made 



by the statistical agents of the Bureau in 1904, beginning the latter 



part of May. The statistics obtained have airead}^ been published in 



Statistical Bulletin No. 166. 



Earlier publications relating to the fisheries of the Great Lakes are 



the following: 



The Fisheries of the Great Lakes, by Frederick W. True, elaborated from notes 

 gathered by Mr. Ludwig Kumlein. The Fishery Industries of the United States, 

 1887, Section II, pp. 631-673. 



The Fisheries of the Great Lakes, by Ludwig Kumlein. The Fishery Industries of 

 the United States, 1887, Section V, Vol. I, pp. 755-769. 



Report on an Investigation of the Fisheries of Lake Ontario, by Hugh M. Smith. 

 Bulletin U. S. Fish Commission, 1890, pp. 177-215. 



Review of the Fisheries of the Great Lakes in 1885, compiled by Hugh M. Smith 

 and Merwin-Marie Snell, with introduction and description of fishing vessels by 

 J. W. Collins. Report U. S. Fish Commission, 1887, pp. 1-333. 



The Fisheries of the Great Lakes, by Hugh M. Smith. Report IT. S. Fish Commis- 

 sion, 1892, pp. 361-462. 



Fisheries of the Great Lakes, by Hugh M. Smith. Report U. S. Fish Commission, 

 1895, pp. 93-103. 



Report of the Joint Commission relative to the Preservation of the Fisheries in Waters 

 contiguous to Canada and the United States, by Richard Rathbun and William 

 Wakeham. House Ex. Doc. No. 315, 54th Cong., 2d sess., 1897, pp. 1-178. 



Fisheries of Lake Ontario. Report U. S. Fish Commission, 1898, pp. clii-clxxv. 



Statistics of Certain Fisheries of the New England and Middle Atlantic States and 

 , the Great Lakes. Report U. S. Fish Commission, 1898, pp. clxvi-clxxv. In 

 this report the figures presented relate to the fiscal year 1897. 



Statistics of the Fisheries of the Great Lakes. Report U. S. Fish Commission, 1901, 



pp. 575-657. 



GENERAL, STATISTICS. 



The number of persons employed in the fisheries of the Great Lakes 

 in 1903 Vv^as 9,333, including 1,249 on vessels fishing and transporting, 

 6,384: in the shore or boat fisheries, and 1,700 engaged as shoresmen in 

 the wholesale fisherj'^ trade and in other occupations in connection with 

 the fisheries. In the fisheries of the various lakes the number of per- 

 sons emplo3^ed was as follows: Superior, 918; Michigan, 3,241; Huron, 

 1,704; St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers, 355; Erie, 2,727; 

 and Ontario, including the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, 388. 

 Compared with the returns for 1899, the year for which the last can- 

 vass was made, there was an increase of 305 persons in Lake Superior 

 and 463 in Lake Huron, but a decrease of 1,001 in Lake Erie, and 

 small decreases in the other lakes; resulting in a total decrease of 337. 



645 



