116 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1908. 



Products, hy apparatus of capture. — The distribution 

 by apparatus of capture of the products of chief value 

 for the respective districts is given in the following 

 tabular statement: ' 



i Less than $100. 



Crowfoot dredges, which are employed in the mus- 

 sel fisheries, had the largest yield in weight and the 

 second in value, while seines had the largest in value 

 and the second in weight. Fyke nets were third in 

 both weight and value of catch. Products valued at 

 about 80 per cent of the total value of fishery prod- 

 ucts were taken by these three classes of apparatus. 

 Gill-net fishing is practically confined to Lake Michi- 

 gan, where nearly nine-tenths of the product for 1908 

 was taken in nets of this class. 



German carp. — The value of the catch of German 

 carp, $574,000, formed 40 per cent of the value of the 

 entire fishery product of the state, and was consider- 

 ably more than the combined value of all of the other 

 food fishes. The carp taken weighed 11,000 short 

 tons, or more than one and one-half times the weight 

 of all other food fishes taken in the state. A carp 

 product was reported by every district, but much the 

 largest amount was taken in the Mississippi River 

 district. Of the total for that district, 7,700 tons, 

 valued at $412,000, were taken in the Illinois River. 



Approximately three-fourths of the carp reported 

 at previous canvasses as caught in the Mississippi 

 River district came from the Illinois River. One-half 

 or more of the growth in the fishery product of the 

 state can be credited to the growth in the catch of 

 carp. In 1894 buffalo, catfish, and fresh-water drum 

 had a heavier and more valuable yield than carp, but 

 in 1899 carp led for the first time. 



The German carp was introduced into the Illinois 

 River as late as 1880. At first it was despised, and 

 when a fish of this species was caught inadvertently 

 it was generally thrown back into the river. These 

 early years of unmolested opportunity, given to a fish 

 of such fecundity and hardihood, produced large re- 

 sults later. Much hostility was manifested toward the 

 carp by sportsmen, and no demand for it as a food 

 was apparent for some years after its introduction. 

 But the Illinois commission began a vigorous defense 

 of the carp and conducted what was almost a campaign 

 of education, instructing sportsmen in the habits of 

 the carp and fish dealers in its food value. Recipes for 

 preparing the flesh for table use and for making jellies 

 and other dehcacies were published, testimony as to 

 the epicurean qualities of these preparations was col- 

 lected and printed, menus containing carp served in 

 various ways at famous hostelries were lithographed 

 and distributed, and statistics of the production and 

 consumption of the fish in other countries were made 

 known. In a relatively short time fishermen turned 

 their attention to the carp, and as early as 1899 the 

 weight of the carp taken was nearly equal to that of 

 all other food fishes combined. 



Carp are taken with a great variety of apparatus, 

 although one-half of the catch was with seines. Con- 

 trary to the general impression, lines are efficacious in 

 their capture, and of the commercial product, carp to 

 the value of $17,000 were so taken. 



Mussels. — The mussel fisheries had a product sec- 

 ond in value to that of carp. The value of the shells, 

 pearls, and slugs obtained in the state amounted to 

 $355,000, or 25 per cent of the value of all products. 

 Of this amount, $114,000 is credited to the fisheries of 

 the Ohio River district and $241,000 to those of the 

 Mississippi River district. The value of the products 

 of the Illinois River, amounting to $139,000, formed 

 the larger portion of the value reported for the Mis- 

 sissippi River district. The increase in the yield of 

 mussels was even more rapid than that in the catch of 

 carp. The product in 1894, 1899, and 1908 was as 

 f oUows : 



Buffalo fish. — The buffalo fish, which led before carp 

 attained first place, ranked second in value among the 



