36 Tivcnty-sci'cnth Annual Meeting 



No. I. No. 2. No. 3. Total. 



1895 57,250 13.410 40,740 111,400 



1896 205,726 31.405 46.753 283,884 



1897 366,180 40,820 92,620 499,620 



While the increase above shown is essentially true, another 

 feature of the catch is also disclosed, namely: more than one- 

 third of this yearly increased take were immature whitefish, 2's, 

 3's and under, and has a hundred fold greater effect in their de- 

 struction than taking- the adult fish from their spawning beds. 

 Could the wasteful catch of the small whitefish be arrested and 

 planting pushed to its fullest extent, I fully believe that the per- 

 petuation and increase of the whitefish in our Great Lakes can 

 be carried to a successful end. On the contrary, if planting is 

 withheld and we rely wholly upon a closed season for their pre- 

 servation, the schools of whitefish in the waters of our Great 

 Lakes will very soon nearly disappear. 



(From H. H. Marks, Overseer of State Fish Car, Michigan 

 Fish Commission.) 



Hon. F. B. Dickerson, 



Michigan Fish Commission, 

 Detroit, Mich. 



Dear Sir: — In reply to your request for ni}- opinion of the re- 

 sults obtained from planting whitefish, and of a closed season dur- 

 ing the spawning time, I will say that the conditions as they are 

 now are all in favor of an open season and artificial propagation. 



I base my opinion upon observations for the past ten years, 

 as my position with this Commission as Field Foreman, collecting 

 whitefish and lake trout eggs, has given me the very best oppor- 

 tunitv to see the results of planting whitefish by this Commission, 

 and the results obtained by a closed season in Canadian waters. 

 The condition of the fisheries on the Canadian shore of Lake 

 Superior, from Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario, to Pilot Harbor, are a 

 closed season from November ist to December ist. a law regulat- 

 ing the size of mesh of both gill and pound nets, a limit to the 

 number of yards of gill nets fished by each tug and sail boat, also 

 a limit upon the number of pound nets fished to a mile of coast, 

 and all of these laws are rigidly enforced. The results to-day are 

 that the fish are diminishing in size and number. These grounds 

 are controlled and fished by one firm, who find it necessary to let 

 the grounds rest after being fished two or three seasons. The 

 results from the closed season and other restrictions are not suffi- 

 cient to keep the fisheries up so they can be fished profitably. 



