THE GREAT LAKES FISHERIES IN 1899. 631 
1890, 30,274 gill nets were operated in the shore fisheries, while in 1899 
only 12,660 were employed. As a result of this change the catch 
made by vessels is much more important than that by boats. In 1890 
the quantity of fish taken with gill nets by vessels was 14,079,281 
pounds and by boats 14,769,072 pounds, while in 1899 the vessel gill- 
net catch had increased to 32,166,659 pounds and the boat gill-net 
catch had decreased to 6,495,514 pounds. 
As compared with 1893 there has been an increase in the products 
of the fisheries of this lake of 15,425,539 pounds in quantity and of 
$344,916 in value. This increase obtained chiefly in the yield of 
herring and white-fish. 
As has been already stated, gill nets only are used in the vessel fish- 
eries; herring is the most important species secured, the catch being 
27,170,534 pounds, worth $347,017. Yellow perch, blue pike, and 
white-fish are also taken in large quantities. 
In the shore fisheries pound nets yielded 11,470,675 pounds of 
products, valued at $314,763; gill nets, 6,495,514 pounds, valued at 
S146,480; seines, 3,417,818 pounds, worth $50,690; trap nets, 2,007,105 
pounds, worth $42,881; fyke nets, 1,356,744 pounds, worth $27,582; 
and lines, 1,409,944 pounds, worth $60,735. The catch with other 
forms of apparatus amounted to 69,405 pounds, valued at $2,514. 
Attention should be called to the great development of the carp 
fishery. In 1890 the catch of this species was unimportant, while in 
1899 it amounted to 3,633,697 pounds, and was valued at $51,456. 
The carp is now very abundant in western Lake Erie, and there is an 
increased demand for it, especially in the larger towns of the Ohio and 
Mississippi valleys. 
A number of fishery firms on Lake Erie are constructing ponds for 
retaining large quantities of carp until they can be disposed of to the 
best advantage. They are shipped to New York and other markets 
on the Atlantic seaboard in ice and without being dressed, while for 
markets south of Lake Erie they are usually dressed and skinned. 
Most of the carp taken in Lake Erie are procured along shore with 
seines, but they are also taken by other means. 
The quantity and value of the carp yielded by each form of appa- 
ratus is as follows: 
{4 
Apparatus. Lbs. Value. 
WECM Gee ass dena ce Dee ase See ck Sete es See aoa eee Bese eee ae Seek eweta netase 3, 041, 808 | $40, 832 
ROUMGRSNGEGPAD: NETS! ioe clas ci cs sale totale aie See oe oe Nae epee te aia sae eee 291, 555 5,538 
BS YKEUM CLSE AGS otictasasiie die cicisin oop Minar Diseiel Seis singe marae eee Be oad on ee ee eo aaecietes 248, 781 4,102 
Ge tae es ys aioe Foe saw ea yatta ne ee Sees ee ee ane ee oe es Mee noes 50, 819 965 
INTE OTHE DALES secs cic oes ec a ae oe Senet Nee acters nie eee iar ee NS Os ES 1, 234. 19 
