562 



Economic Considerations. 



The Illinois River and its backwaters, under present con- 

 ditions, contribute annually to the wealth of the state over 10,- 

 000,000 pounds of marketable fish and 15,000 dozen turtles, with 

 a wholesale maTket value of about $375,000. This amount will 

 be very considerably increased if to this sum be added the in- 

 crease due to retailers' profits, to the unmarketed catch of 

 local fishermen and visiting sportsmen, and to the annual har- 

 vest of migrant water-fowl which are shot in great numbers for 

 local use as well as for shipment to distant markets. 



Fish from the Illinois River find their way into the local 

 markets and are shipped by the car-load from the principal fish- 

 ing centers, such as Peoria, Havana, and Beardstown, to Chi- 

 cago, St. Louis, and New York City. The remarkable increase 

 in the catch of the introduced German carp from practically 

 nothing in 1894 to 5,890,200 pounds in 1901 is one of the fac- 

 tors which assures the economic value of the fishing industry in 

 this stream. These fish find a ready sale among the foreign 

 population of our great cities, and hold the market without fear 

 of rivalry by any of our cheaper native food fishes. 



In addition to these economic phases of the fishing industry 

 of the Illinois River there are other considerations which arise 

 from its value to the state at large as a field for sport and rec- 

 reation. This cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. The 

 backwaters and marshes teem with migrant water-fowl in 

 autumn and spring, and the spring-fed lakes are the home of 

 large-mouthed black bass {MicropferH,s paf/idus) , while the crop- 

 pies, the striped bass, the white perch, and the various sunfish, 

 to say nothing of the catfish and bullpouts, provide no mean 

 sport for the less fastidious angler. 



Are these present resources of the stream economically 

 utilized under existing conditions? How may they be best con- 

 served ? What developments are possible which will tend to in- 

 crease the production of this stream and multiply the numbers 

 of those who resort to it for recreation and sport? Does the 

 investigation reported in this paper have any bearing upon 



