FISHERIES, BY STATES. 



273 



Buffalo fish.— The buffalo-fish product, all of which 

 was from the Mississippi River district, ranked third 

 in value among the fishery products of the state. Over 

 80 per cent of the catch was taken with seines, while 

 pound and trap nets took most of the remainder. The 

 statistics concerning the catch for certain years for 

 which figures are available are as follows: 



Whitefish. — These fish, which were taken wholly 

 from the lake waters, ranked fourth among the fishery 

 products of the state in value, contributing 10 per cent 

 of the value of the total product and 10 per cent of the 

 total weight. Besides the common whitefish, which 

 was sold fresh, smoked, and salted, three other species 

 were handled, namely, the bluefin, the longjaw, and the 

 Menominee, the last two being sold in both a fresh and 

 a prepared condition. Whitefish ranked third in 

 value among the products of Lake Superior and fourth 

 among those of Lake Michigan. Over 20 per cent of 

 the total value reported for the species represented 

 product taken in the former district. The whitefish 

 yield was much less in 1908 than in 1890, but consider- 

 ably more than in the years subsequent to 1890, as 

 shown by the following tabular statement: 



Yellow perch.— The yellow perch reported had a 

 value nearly equal to that of whitefish and represented 

 5 per cent of the total value of products for the state. 

 In Lake Michigan, where over 99 per cent of the catch 

 was taken, this fish composed 12 per cent of the total 

 product. Statistics for the entire state are not avail- 

 able for a series of years, but as practically the entire 

 catch of this species was taken in Lake Michigan, com- 

 parative figures for this lake are given in the following 

 tabular statement: 



YELLOW-PERCH PROD- 

 UCT OF LAKE MICHI- 

 GAN. 



1908 

 1903 

 1899 

 1890 



Quantity 

 (pounds). 



2,551,000 

 2,638,000 

 1,908,000 

 1,008,000 



Value. 



154,000 

 44,000 

 25,000 

 21,000 



German carp. — This species ranked sixth among the 

 leading species, contributing 5 per cent of the total 

 value. Of the total catch of this fish, 85 per cent was 

 taken in the Mississippi River district and the remain- 

 der in Lake Michigan. The carp product has increased 

 almost as much as has that of buffalo fish, and the two 

 combined not only account for the gain in the Missis- 

 sippi River product since 1890, but counterbalance the 

 decrease in the catch of certain other species, notably 

 wall-eyed pike and sturgeon. The comparative sum- 

 mary given below is for the Mississippi River district, 

 since statistics for that district only are available for 

 the different years shown. 



76786°— 11- 



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