American I'is/wrics Society. 89 



The licavicsl take of whitclish recorded last year to am 

 water area of c(|ual dimensions was credited to Lal<e l'"rie and 

 Detroit River. 



l-'ewer whitetisli fry have been pkmted in Lake ( )ntari(i than 

 in any otlier one of the C^reat Lakes ; the value of its commercial 

 fisheries suffers proportionately. The whitefish fishermen have 

 ])ractically al)andoned the lake. 



Statistics prove that whitefish were once more plentifnl in 

 Lake Michii^an than in Lake Erie. According to figures from 

 the Washington office of the Ignited States Fish Commission the 

 catch of whitefish in Lake ]\I'ichigan in 1880 was on round num- 

 bers 1 2. 000. coo pounds, while in Lake Erie during the same year 

 less than 3400.000 pounds were taken. 



The conditions to-day are reversed. Since that date Lake 

 Michigan has shown a gradual deciiiic in that industr\-. During 

 the year 1897 only about 4,000.000 pounds (in round luunbers) 

 were taken from Lake Michigan. 



The whitefish industry of Lake Erie is i)eing developed while 

 that of the other lakes is hardly holding its own. 



The whitefish industry of Lake luie now ranks first and that 

 of Lake Michigan follows. 



There has been a gradual increase in the annual catch of 

 whitefish in Michigan waters of Lake Erie since 1893. the take 

 of 1899 being more than five times that of 1893 and more than 

 twice as heavv as anv previous annual catch for the past ten 

 years ; and it is probable that the catch has not been so good for 

 twenty years or more. The statistics for Lake Erie (i. e., the 

 whole lake) for 1899 are not yet completed, but they will un- 

 doubtedly show an increase ot 50 to 100 per cent over the catch 

 of the preceding year. 



Report.-; from the fisheruK'n (such information as I have 

 gathered by letter and through conversation) seem to indicate 

 that Lakes ^Michiiran. Sui)erior and Huron are holding their own 

 fairly well and that there will undoubtedly be a slight increase 

 ■over the catch of last year. 



In Lake Erie a remarkable increase will be recorded for the 



