232 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



owned at Detroit, are fished at different places in tbe river or near its 

 mouth; and six seines owned at Ecorse are hauled on the shores of 

 several of the lower islands. One of the firms at Ecorse uses a small 

 steamer in its fishery. 



Apparatus and fishing season. — The pound-nets are from 15 to 35 feet 

 deep, and are kept in the water only during the months of October and 

 November. The seines average a little over 320 feet in length and 32 

 feet in depth and are usually fished from the middle of September to the 

 middle of November, though in one instance the fishing season includes 

 part of the month of May and in the fall is limited to the month of Oc- 

 tober. The catch is principally herring and whitefish. 



Trade.— There are half a dozen firms who deal very extensively in 

 fishery products, handling 12,199,220 pounds in 1885, valued at $581,490. 

 Three of these firms deal in both fresh and salt fish, and treat large 

 quantities in their freezers; one of them also prepares caviare, oil, and 

 isinglass quite extensively ; two of the others are engaged exclusively 

 in freezing and smoking herring and sturgeon and manufacturing isin- 

 glass and caviare; while the remaining house deals in salt fish only. 

 The fishermen at Ecorse keep their fish in pens until winter, and in this 

 way are able to get the highest market price for them. 



Statistics. — One hundred and twenty men were employed on the De- 

 troit Kiver in 1885, in connection with the fisheries, of whom 66 were 

 fishermen, 53 preparators, and 1 a mechanic. The fishermen operated 

 11 pound-nets, valued at $4,400, and 17 seines, valued at $5,875; using 

 1 fishing steamer and I collecting tug, valued at $1,150, and 22 boats, 

 valued at $1,620. Miscellaneous apparatus and accessories were worth 

 $8,175; wharves, buildings, and other shore property, $93,950; and 

 the working capital amounted to $92,500. 



The products in 1885 amounted to 231,700 pounds of herring, 30,875 

 pounds of whitefish, 4,300 pounds of perch, suckers, etc., 3,2G0 pounds 

 of sturgeon, and 2, 940 pounds of pickerel, the total catch aggregating 

 273,075 pounds, valued at $8,524. Secondary products made from the 

 sturgeon were valued at $7,584, aud consisted of 53,690 pounds of ca- 

 viare, 1,550 pounds of isinglass, and 800 gallons of oil. 



