64 American Fisheries Society. 



terially diminished, having dropped from 82,560,000 in the 

 fall of 1914 to 15,600,000 in the fall of 1922, the decline be- 

 ing steady, with the exception of the fall of 1920 when the 

 number reached nearly 54,000,000. 



Nov/ the question is why? What is causing this decline 

 at the west end of the lake while the take of both fish and 

 eggs is increasing farther east or down the lake from these 

 fields mentioned? The take of whitefish eggs at Kelley's 

 Island, one of the most easterly fields has steadily increased 

 during this time, why? We believe that the reason for these 

 changes is on account of pollution. What do you believe? 



Discussion. 



Mr. Titcomb : Have you any statistics of the whitefish catch during 

 any of these years? 



Mr. Downing: No, I have not. 



President Leach: The State of Ohio, I believe, collects statistics 

 on this point every year. The commercial fishermen are required to 

 furnish the necessary information, and that is made a matter of record 

 at Columbus. The Bureau collects statistics out there about every five 

 years; it just completed one last year. 



Mr. Doze : Is the pollution any greater at the upper end of the lake 

 than at the other? 



Mr. Downing: Since the establishment of large powder factories 

 near Monroe at the upper end of the lake and the dumping of their 

 refuse into the water, the catch of fish has very materially dropped. 

 At Toledo they sret the pollution from the Maumee River, which drains 

 a large section of the country; and there is all the sewage from the city 

 of Toledo. 



Mr. Titcomb: We have many organizations throughout the country 

 which are interested in this matter. We have the Anti-Pollution League, 

 which is to meet at Atlantic City in October; and there is another meet- 

 ing at Pittsbur?^h preceding that. We have the league with reference 

 to migratory fish, and we have this most recent acquisition, the Isaak 

 Walton League, which has come to he so powerful. Every one of these 

 organizations should be working to help the Bureau of Fisheries to get 

 appropriations to do intelligent work; and none of them can accomplish 

 a great deal if they are not intelligently directed. The Isaak Walton 

 League has to have the assistance of this Society and of the Bureau of 

 Fisheries. It is possible to know definitely whether the disappearance 

 of the whitefish in certain sections of Lake Erie is attributable to certain 

 causes it can be worked out by the Bureau of Fisheries if they have 

 proper support and the money to do it with. This is only one of the 

 things which these organizations ought to take hold of and push through. 

 A man like Carlos Avery, recognized as one of the leading conserva- 

 tionists of the country, can be put out of office and a politician put in 

 his place. Much of the work he has done is upset; no man, however 

 good he may be, can learn in fifteen years what Carlos Avery knows. 

 This is a chance for the anglers' league; and the anglers' league has to 

 work with the commercial fishermen, otherwise the work they are trying 

 to do may be blocked. 



