American Fisheries Society. Ill 



confrcMit. For fifteen years of the best aetivity of the men I see 

 about nie here, we liave devoted our energies and thought to 

 building up here in the interests of the pubHe, and incidentally 

 for the benefit of the fishermen, one of the largest whitefish and 

 lake trout hatcheries there is in this country to-day, and now we 

 see it destroyed because the fishermen do' not want to be con- 

 trolled. 



The greatest loss is sustained in the taking of small fish. As 

 I said before, fully one-quarter in weight oi the catch is of voung 

 fish, too soft and innnature to be shipped to market fresh, and 

 they go into the herring catch and are sold for a cent a pound. 

 If those fish were left in the water for three years they would sell 

 for three or four cents a pound at the lowest price, while they 

 now sell for about one and a half cents per pound. Now, that is 

 of concern to the public, not only in Michigan, but in every other 

 state on the lakes, and this attempt to ruin an industry of this 

 kind " should be stopped. 



Mr. Nevin: We have eleven tugs fishing in our waters. 

 There are three hundred miles of nets out in that lake there every 

 day in the year. 



Mr. Tondin: Twelve years ago, T moved l)efore such a bodv 

 as this a resolution that we ask the society to go to work 

 and secure proper protection. The chairman that vear, and 

 the gentlemen who has recently presented his resignation, one of 

 the members of this society, fought that resolution to the bitter 

 end, and it was only when I appealed to such men as Dunning, 

 of Wisconsin, and Fairbanks, that power was given that associa- 

 tion to act. I helped to secure the first ten thousand dollars that 

 went towards the Duluth hatchery. From that time on the in- 

 terest at Duluth, and I will say on Lake Superior, has increased 

 in fish culture. I can only regret that I have aroused so much 

 opposition, yet I am very glad indeed I brought this matter up 

 for discussion to-day. Mr. Whitaker has certainlv given me some 

 facts I will carry home with me. The record on my books shows 

 since 1886 there has been an increase in the meshes of nets in 

 Minnesota. They run from four-and-a-half-inch mesh up to five 

 inches. The majority of the fishermen on the lakes are fishing 

 with four and three-quarters and five-inch mesh, and I honor A. 

 Booth & Company, and I want to tell you, gentlemen, that thev 

 absolutely and positively refused to buy any whitefish of less 

 than two pounds dressed weight. 



