THE WHITEFISH 



Minimum Size Limits. The Scales vs. the Yard Stick 



By C. H. Wilson 



The purpose of this paper is to obtain from the Ameri- 

 can Fisheries Society the endorsement of the best and safest 

 method in the measurement of the whitefish of the Great 

 Lakes that will give said fish at least one opportunity to 

 reproduce its kind before being taken for the market or the 

 table; such method to show both weight and length of fish 

 to be taken; such endorsement to carry with it a recom- 

 mendation to all states and provinces interested urging the 

 adoption of the same. In this discussion of the whitefish 

 the word is used as defined in the international treaty be- 

 tween the United States Government and Great Britain con- 

 cerning fisheries in waters contiguous to the United States 

 and the Dominion of Canada, which is as follows : "This 

 term includes the Lake Superior or Labrador whitefish 

 (Coregonus clupeiformis) and Lake Erie whitefish (Core- 

 gonus albus). It does not include the Menominee white- 

 fish, called the Round Fish or Pilot Fish (Coregonus quadri- 

 lateralis)." 



It is the firm belief of the writer that regulation by a 

 minimum size limit of this fish is the most important of all 

 present forms of protection to insure a generous supply of 

 eggs for hatchery purposes, thereby largely increasing the 

 present supply for commercial purposes. It is to be re- 

 gretted that in all the valuable and helpful discussion of 

 whitefish by our Society comparatively little in detail has 

 been said about size limits. Certainly not as far as minimum 

 size limits are concerned. In all instructive papers written 

 in recent years on this valuable food fish little is found 

 regarding protective size limits that would justify state or 

 province in its acceptance of them in the formulation of 

 regulations having in view a maximum amount of protec- 



