Kinds of Fi.sh. 



Total pounds. 



Net value. 



Percent. 





y 



5,489,990 

 3.061,454 

 235,000 

 28.5.000 

 120, 468 

 35,431 

 394.680 

 40,654 

 40,621 



8164,699 75 

 61,229 08 

 9,400 00 

 8,550 00 

 2,409 36 

 1,771 55 

 23.140 00 

 2.032 70 

 3, 249 t;S 



56.58 





31.56 





2.36 





2.45 



»crch 



1.66 





.71 

 4 17 





.42 





41 











9.703,298 



$279,482 07 



100 00 



Carp 



Buffxlo 



Catfish 



Bull Pouts.... 

 Sunfisli and Ringr Pfrch 

 Striped Ba?s 

 Whit*- Perch . 



Croppif 



J31ac-k Bass. . 



T,.tal 



M. D. HuELEY, Prcsidcni, 



John A. Schulte, Trcasunn-. 



Alex. Sargeant, Secretanj, Bath, 111. 



As will be seen by tlie above figures from twenty points along the 

 Illinois river, fish to the amount of $207,687.00 were taken out and 

 sold in 1«96, and $279,4^2.00 in 1897. This only represents the fish- 

 ermen connected with the association, and does not fully represent 

 all of the fish taken, as there are hundreds of men who are fishing 

 for market that do not sell their fish' to wholesale dealers and are 

 members of the association, but find a market either locally, or ship 

 in a smaller way on their own account. We have no doubt that their 

 figures, if they could be accurately procured, would increase the out- 

 put 25, perhaps 50 per cent, but this however, could only be an esti- 

 mate. 



Their figures represent only about two hundred miles frontage on 

 one of the rivers of this State out of nearly or quite one thousand 

 miles frontage of rivers productive of this great food i3roduct. 



Organization will follow all over the State, in fact your commis- 

 sioners are advocating it continually, and have tried to promote a 

 good feeling between the fishermen and the conimissioners. That 

 certain laws must be enacted and enforced to protect the fish is self- 

 evident, for although the greater part of the fishermen see the neces- 

 sity of some protection, there are hundreds who do not, and who look 

 upon each day's catch at any season of the year as a matter of profit, 

 and without care as to what the future may or may not produce, j 



We advocate as great protection to those who fish for a living along 

 lawful and legitimate lines as is given any other class of business, a«? 

 it is equally as honorable as any and in importance much greater 

 than some. 



We have been very severely criticised by a great many, in that 

 they claim we are neglecting proper protection for the game fish and 

 are to a great extent overlooking the interests of the angler. Some 

 going far enough to undertake to maintain the position that the use 

 of the sein sliould be prohibited entirely in all the waters of the 

 State. That it was the cause of great destruction and would in time 

 wholly deplete the river. This position is true in part, but only 

 when applied to the smaller streams and inland lakes of the State, 

 and in that matter is fully covered by the laws upon our statute 

 books now, but when applied to greater rivers is entirely at fault. 



