36 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



the boats are delayed in reaching them, or at times when there is an over- 

 supply in the market. The catch of the Apostle Islands is controlled 

 largely by three dealers at Bayfield, two employing steamers aud sail- 

 boats for collecting fresh fish, aud the other handling salt fish ex- 

 clusively. Nearly all of those landed fresh are sent to Minneapolis 

 aud St. Paul for distribution. The salt fish are chiefly consigned to 

 Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Nearly the entire catch be- 

 tween Ontonagon and Huron Bay is salted, as there are there no fresh- 

 fish dealers, and little opportunity for handling fresh fish. The same 

 is true of Grand Island and vicinity. Good railroad facilities at Mar- 

 quette enable the fishermen to ship the bulk of their fish fresh. 



Whitefish Point being located almost in the path of the lake steam- 

 ers, arrangements have been made by which those bound for Chicago 

 touch there regularly, thus enabling the fishermen to dispose of most 

 of their fish fresh. The fish taken by the Indians near the mouth of 

 the St. Mary's River and those caught along the Canada shores to the 

 northward are landed at Sault Ste. Marie and iced for shipment to the 

 principal cities of Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois! 



If we except the few fish smoked by the Indians for their own use 

 and the limited quantity similarly prepared by a dealer, who began 

 business at Duluth in 1885, there has been no smoking of fish along the 

 shores of Lake Superior. An explanation of this is found in the fact 

 that fish of large size are abundant, and the apparatus employed in 

 most localities is not adapted to catching small fish, which, owing to 

 the demand for large ones at a good price, are the only ones that could 

 be smoked with profit. 



Propagation — Shortly after the close of the investigation of 1885, 

 the results of which are embodied in this report, the leading fishermen 

 of the lake organized themselves into an association for the promotion 

 of wise fishery legislation and of the artificial propagation of the 

 principal food-fish of their waters. Their appreciation of the past work 

 of the United States and State commissions in maintaining the fish 

 supply of the country, was shown by the following petition presented by 

 citizens of Duluth in the spring of 1886, asking for the inauguration ot 

 extensive fish-cultural work in Lake Superior. This document, which t 

 seems worthy of presentation in full, reads as follows : 



The fishermen of Lake Superior, whose market and shipping point is at Duluth, 

 Minnesota, feel the need of some relief being obtained for them from the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission, and ask a careful consideration of the facts as presented to Prof. Spencer F. 

 Baird, the Commissioner, and do hereby petition you to use your influence in securing 

 for them the favors herein set forth. 



They have formed themselves into an association to promote their mutual interests, 

 their aims and objects being to bring about a better understanding of the fishing 

 laws of States ; a uniform action amongst the fishermen concerning the regulation 

 of the sizes of the meshes of all kinds of nets, and the enforcement of the laws con- 

 cerning them ; and also to secure the artificial propagation of the spawn of both 

 whitefish and lake trout by a fish hatchery. 



