Commercial Fishery — Mississippi River 



A literature search for sources pertaining to the commercial 

 fishery of the upper Mississippi River yielded several references of 

 a quantitative nature dating from 1894 to 1976. However, fishery 

 statistics published prior to the construction of the nine-foot navi- 

 gation system (Smith, 1898; Townsend, 1902; Sette, 1925; and Fiedler, 

 1933) provided data only for the entire Mississippi River bordering 

 Illinois (pools 12 through B-26, inclusive). Pre-construction data 

 for the study area encompassed by pools 24, 25, and 26 were unavailable. 

 For comparison with the earlier period, post-construction fishery 

 statistics (Anderson and Peterson, 1953; Anderson and Power, 1957; 

 Power, 1962; Lyles, 1967; and Wheeland, 1973) were used. 



In addition to the above broad comparison of the pre- and post- 

 construction commercial fishery, the following data were compiled: 

 (1) commercial fishery statistics for pools 24, 25, and 26 for the 

 period 1953-1976 (UMRCC, 1954-1977); (2) number of full-time and part- 

 time Illinois commercial fishermen on the upper Mississippi River, 

 1950-1970 (Starrett, unpublished); and (3) a comparison of the harvest 

 of commercial fish by Illinois fishermen from a pooled section of the 

 Mississippi River (pools 12-26, Dubuque, Iowa to Alton, Illinois) and 

 an unpooled section (B-26, Alton to Cairo, Illinois), 1950-1970 

 (Starrett, unpublished). 



Subsections within the discussion of the commercial fishery deal with 

 (1) historical aspects of the fishery; (2) changes in species composition 

 of the commercial catch, 1894-1970; (3) recent trends in the fishery, 

 1950-1976; and (4) an economic evaluation of the fishery. 



Historical Perspective . An excellent historical view of the 

 commercial fishery of the upper Mississippi River is given by Carlander 

 (1954: 57-70). It appears that an organized commercial fishery did not 

 begin until the late 1800' s. Reliable statistical records date from 1894 

 when the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries (succeeded by the Bureau 

 of Fisheries and Fish and Wildlife Service) began compiling quantitative 



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