FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



165 



MICHIGAN. 



Michigan is foremost among the Great Lakes states 

 in value of fishery products. All the lakes, with the 

 exception of Lake Ontario, toucli upon the state, but 

 Lakes Michigan and Huron contributed the larger 

 percentage of the state yield. 



The following statement presents a summary of 

 the chief statistics for the fisheries of Michigan in 1908: 



Number of persons employed 3 472 



Capital: 



Vessels and boats, including outfit $594, 000 



Apparatus of capture 821 000 



Shore and accessory property and cash 599, 000 



Value of products 1, 473, 000 



Comparison with previous canvasses. — Since 1890 a 

 considerable increase is manifest in the quantity and 

 value of products. No statistics of comparative 

 value are at haud for Michigan for years previous to 

 1890. With regard to the Great Lakes the Bureau of 

 Fisheries stated, as a result of the investigation of 

 1885, that, "considered as a whole, the fisheries were 

 more prolific in 1885 than they had ever previously 

 been." 



The statistics for the fisheries of the Great Lakes 

 district in 1885 are, on the whole, very similar to those 

 of 1 890 and show figures very much in excess of those 

 for 1880. Since signs of growth appear in the early 

 statistics of the fisheries of this region, it may be 



inferred that the increase during the past 18 years 

 indicates a movement extending over a much longer 

 period. Reasons for this increase, as suggested in 

 1885, include the increase in the number of persons 

 engaged in the work, the use of a larger number of 

 nets and other apparatus of capture, and more exten- 

 sive artificial propagation. In addition to these 

 forces, all of which were active in 1885, favorable 

 legislation has fostered the growth of the industry 

 since 1890. 



Michigan shares so largely in the catch from all but 

 one of these lakes that what is true of the fisheries of 

 the Great Lakes region in general may be considered 

 equally true of the Michigan fisheries. The following 

 comparative summary shows the principal statistics 

 for the various canvasses from 1890 to 1908, inclusive: 



Persons employed. — Statistics of the persons em- 

 ployed in the fisheries of Michigan in 1908 are given 

 in the following table : 



