94 Tzveiity-nintJi Annual Meeting 



would be a great stride towards the perfection of protective meth- 

 ods ; no importance, however, should be detracted from neces- 

 sary and co-operative laws essential to the re-establishment of 

 the con:mercial fisheries. 



The importance of scientihc research is obvious, as the 

 nature of the spawning l^eds is indicative of the fact that nature 

 guides the parent whitelish there solely with a view to the pro- 

 tection and welfare of the ova, not the fry. 



It has required the planting of many millions of whitefish 

 fry in Lake Erie and tributaries to stem the tide of depletement 

 and to reverse conditions but recently unfavorable to the ultimate 

 re-establishment and maintenance of the industry on that lake. 



In other words, vast numbers of whitefish fry, subsecjuently 

 unaccounted for, have been liberated in the said Lake and tribu- 

 taries. 



Although the good results have come, there has been an 

 enormous waste of fry somewhere. Is it necessary that such 

 large quantities of fry must be destroyed every year in order that 

 only a few more fortunate ones may reach maturity? This is 

 beyond the scope of the practical fish-culturist. Can the scientist 

 aid us by investigating into the causes of such wholesale mortal- 

 ity or destruction? Do the fry die of starvation or do they be- 

 come food for predatory fishes? 



The gratifying results from Lake Erie waters have not been 

 produced without the application of wholesale methods, and 

 necessarily enormous losses have been sustained and over-bal- 

 anced by exceptionally heavy plants of whitefish fry. The same 

 conditions may be brought about in Lakes Superior, Michigan, 

 Huron and Ontario by very extensive planting, but it will cer- 

 tainly require that unless a solution of the food question and the 

 location of better planting grounds be determined. By prac- 

 tical experiment it has been proven that Detroit River contains 

 food favorable to the growth of whitefish fry, and the river un- 

 doubtedly affords excellent planting ground. 



It is natural to suppose that by the current of the river the 

 fry are brought in contact with the plankton life on their down- 



