THE WHITEFISH PRODUCTION OF THE GREAT LAKES. 641 
The above-outlined six provisions would, in my judgment, constitute an 
adequate law for the greatest protection and consequent increase of the whitefish 
that it would be possible to give them. If a uniform law can be agreed upon 
and framed along these lines, and then enforced with the same watchful 
diligence with which the revenue laws of both countries are enforced to-day, 
there is no room for argument against the statement that, aided by artificial 
propagation on a large scale, the whitefish may be increased so materially 
that at no very distant future date the fisherman’s net will be found to contain 
dozens where there is one to-day. 
(2) ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION. 
Now while a uniform, adequate, and rigidly enforced set of laws is of the 
greatest necessity in bringing about a material increase in the whitefish, 
propagation upon a large scale is absolutely indispensable. That artificial 
propagation of the whitefish as it has been worked out and practiced during 
the past twenty years by the several states and the United States and Canadian 
governments has been the means of effecting an actual increase of this species, 
there is at this day no one so bold that he dare dispute. Statistics have been 
prepared and published which show that until within the past six or seven 
years from two-thirds to three-quarters of all plants of whitefish fry have 
been in Lake Erie and the Detroit River, and the fact is well known that in 
these waters there has been a large increase in their numbers. The United 
States Government during its operations at Belle Isle and Grassy Island in 
the Detroit River for the past few seasons has taken from 25 to 50 per cent 
more whitefish at these points than the Michigan Fish Commission did a decade 
ago, the fishing continuing for no longer a period each season and being with 
the same kind and length of seines. 
Now, by artificial propagation on a large scale I mean the production of 
whitefish fry in such numbers that every suitable locality on the Great Lakes 
may have the same, or, if possible, greater opportunities to assist in this increase 
than have been afforded Lake Erie and the Detroit River. This would involve 
the planting of from two to five billion fry annually, and the following plan, 
if adopted, would easily furnish, in my judgment, a sufficient number to bring 
about the required results: 
Every fisherman operating in the waters of the Great Lakes should be 
required to strip every ripe female caught during the spawning season and 
impregnate the eggs taken therefrom. This would operate as an annual tax 
upon the fishermen, the expense being probably from $25 to $100 per boat. 
At the present time from 50 to 75 per cent of the fishermen are perfectly 
familiar with the methods employed in successful spawntaking, and there 
, B. B. F. 1908—4r 
