Mat 4, 1883. | 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



271 



^M\mltnn. 



THE AMERICAN FISHCULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



PROCEEDINGS ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 



ON opening the meeting on the second day the president re- 

 market! that he was glad to sec Mr" Wilniot present. 

 Canada had not been represented in the association for some 

 years, and he did not know but they had lost interest in the 

 meetings. 



Mr. Wilmot responded that it was not through a lack of 

 interest that neither Mr. Whitoher nor himself had attended 

 the meetings, but the fact was that it was always a busy time 

 with them when the meetin.es were held, Parliament was 

 then in session, and they had much important business on 

 hand. 



The following persons were then proposed for membership: 

 Charles Pease, Cleveland, 0,; W, H. Truslow, Cazenovia. N. 

 Y. ; T. J. Jessup, Virginia City, Nevada; W. E. Garrett, New 

 York city. 



The President — There has been a suggestion made that the 

 next meeting of this association be held in Boston, and per- 

 haps this would be as good a time as any to agitate the ques- 

 tion and get expressions of opinion concerning it. 



Mr. Mather — Une of the first questions to be considered is, 

 would it be to the. advantage, of the association to meet there? 

 If it would, then it would be most desirable, to do so. It will 

 be recollected that we met one year in Philadelphia, and ob- 

 tained many new members from that city. These members 

 did not stick to us. One or two came to' New York at the 

 next meeting, but finally all dropped off. Our main object 

 should be to increase our membership, as it broadens our use- 

 fulness. 



Dr. Hudson — If the meeting was held near the time of that 

 of the New England Fish Commissioners, there is no doubt of 

 our having a good attendance, and I •would favor it unless it 

 would prevent a large attendance from New York. I would 

 like to hear from other members on this subject. 



The President— I would like, to hear from Mr. Wilmot on 

 the question of meeting in Boston. 



Mr. Wilmot — I do not care to express an opinion. Mr. 

 Whitcher and myself can attend at either New York or Bos- 

 ton equally well. I feel like apologizing to the association for 

 my long absence, and hope to meet with them oftener in 

 future. Privately, I think Mew York the best place, on ac- 

 count of the opening of the trout season and the splendid dis- 

 play of the salinonidce which Mr. Blackford has at this time. 

 As I said before, however, our Parliament is in session at that 

 time, and it is difficult to leave. 



Dr. Hudson— The same objection exists in the New England 

 States. Their Legislatures are in session at the time of our 

 meeting, but as the trout opening is a great attraction it 

 might Be. hard to say what is the best time. New York city 

 is more attractive in May than in April, if we leave out the 

 trout show. 



Mr. Evarts— It would be better to have the meeting earlier 

 in the year than later. People like myself, who live in the 

 country, find it easier to leave in February or March. 



Mr. Blackford — We formerly ha 1 a large attendance from 

 New England and wo should strive to regain it. Being a con- 

 tinental association we should spread over more ground, and 

 yet the question arises, would we be benefitted by going to 

 Boston? The trout exhibitions spoken of have grown from 

 the. association, and have in sort become part of it. As for 

 myself any other time would be more convenient for me, and 

 I think for fishculturists generally. They are now engaged 

 in distributing fry and are very busy. I think the "time 

 should be changed, whether the place is or not, and, for one, 

 will favor Boston. 



Mr. Mather — If -we can get an accession of members from 

 the East, and hold them, then I would favor Boston also, but 

 our Philadelphia friends deserted us, 



The President— No doubt we would have a large gather- 

 ing in Boston and our meeting would be a benefit to fishcul- 

 ture. 



Dr. Hudson' — It would be desirable to bring all Fish Com- 

 missioners together and have the meeting the day following 

 the meeting of the association. We formerly had meetings of 

 commissioners under Prof. Baird, but have had none since 

 1876. I do not know how far it would be practicable to bring 

 the commissioners of the West in with us. It should be 

 started by Prof. Baird in order to make it successful. 



Mr. SMiLET-^Only a year ago Prof. Baird had circulars 

 printed asking for a 'meeting of all Fish Commissioners, but 

 they were never sent out for fear that it might not 'be 

 practicable to obtain such a meeting. Perhaps the Professor 

 might consider that in connection with this association a 

 meeting of the different Fish Commissions could be successfully 

 held. In regard to the Boston meeting it appears possible to 

 get the attendance of Prof. Baird and his assistants, as he is 

 at Wood's Hall during the summer. 



Mr. Blackford moved that the matter of the next meeting 

 be referred to the executive committee, with power to 

 arrange the time and place of meeting. Carried. 



Dr. Hudson moved that Prof. Baird be requested to call a 

 meeting of the Fish Commissioners of the different States, to 

 take place about the time of our next meeting, either just be- 

 fore or after it. Carried. 



The following paper was then read: 



CHANGES IN THE FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES 

 DURING THE DECADE, 1870-1380. 



BY CHARLES W. SMILEY. 



A somewhat wide-spread impression exists in the lake 

 regions that the fisheries of the Great Lakes are decreasing. 

 That the nnmber of pounds of fish annually caught is less than 

 formerly is not true, and yet this instinctive impression is 

 doubtless correct if formulated differently. Thatthe resources 

 are diminishing and liable to fail us is true. 



From the statements of Mr. J. W. Milner who visited the 

 fisheries in 1871, and whose report was published by the 

 United States Fish Commission, and by comparison with the 

 investigation made in 1879 by Mr, Ludwig Kumlein under the 

 auspices of the Fish Commission and tenth census, the follow- 

 ing facts appear : 



I. The total number of pounds of fish obtained from the 

 Great Lakes in 1S79 was equal to or greater than the yield of 

 any years in the first part of the decade, 



II. The. apparatus for capture has increased in effectiveness 

 enormously, probably 500 per cent, The increased effective- 

 ness was produced by the introduction of finer meshes in nets, 

 the addition of steam tugs, the increase of pounds, and very 

 great increase in the number of gill nets in use. The number 

 of fishermen also incXe 



III. The average size of the whiteflsh and trout taken 

 greatly diminished during the decade. 



iV.'A considerable number of valuable fishing places be- 

 came seriously or whollv exhausted. New places were sought 

 out and the supply thus kept up. 



V. From these few facts the following conclusion is drawn: 

 The perfection which the apparatus has attained, the diminu- 

 tion in the size of the. fish taken, the exhaustion of numerous 

 localities, and the fact that Ashing is pressed under these cir- 

 cumstances enough to keep up the maximum supply indicates 

 that in the natural order of events, remarkable diminution, if 

 not complete collapse, is to be anticipated in the coming 

 decade. 



VI. The natural order of events may be averted by regula- 

 tion of the size of meshes, preventing the pollution of the 

 waters, and by artificial propagation. 



In support of the foregoing statements the following details 

 are submitted : 



I. The Supply Maintained.— In his report for 1872 Mr. 

 Milner gave, a table of "the number of pounds of lake fish 

 received by first handlers," but he stated that his figures for 

 Sandusky," Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Mackinaw were in- 

 complete. He then adds "the sum total of this incomplete 

 record is 32,350,000 pounds of fish." Mr. KumleiVs figures for 

 1879 foot up 68,742,000 pounds. That the total supply was not 

 very much larger in 1879 than in 1872 is the universal opinion. 

 It is also likely that the completion of the figures for 1S72 

 would make a total of at least 50,000,000 pounds. In this 

 period, the trade of Buffalo, Milwaukee, and some other places 

 tell off, but was compensated by the increase of trade in Chi- 

 cago. This decline at Buffalo from 1872 to 1879 Mr. Kumlein 

 placeB at from 6,874,100 pounds to 4,001,000 pounds. It is im- 

 possible to state the exact decline at Milwaukee, but one 

 bouse reports a decrease from 14,000 half barrels to 2.058 half 

 barrels. Another house sold 8,000 hall" barrels in 1871 , 7 001 1 in 

 1872. and but 1,908 in 1879. A third firm handled 6,623 half 

 barrels in 1873, and 10,397 in 1873, but only 2,003 half barrels in 

 1879. The only other wholesale, dealer gave no comparative 

 figures, 



In 1872 Mr. Milner put the transactions in Chicago at 7,461,- 

 102 pounds ; in 1875 the total is given by a, Chicago firm at 

 11,500,000 pounds; in 1876 the totalis given by this same firm 

 at 13,240.000 pounds; in 1877 the total is given by this same 

 firm at 14,000,000 pounds; in 1879 Mr. Kumlein puts the Chi- 

 cago trade at 17,247,570 pounds. 



II. Maximum Effectiveness of Fishing. — The summaries of 

 apparatus used in Lake Michigan, as given by Mr. Milner in 

 lavS and by Mr. Kumlein in 1S79, compare as follows: 



1871. 1879. 



Pound nets 2S1 476 



Gill " 450 24,599 



Soil vessels and boats 689 612 



Steam tugs 4 SO 



In their report the Wisconsin Commissioners say, "The 

 number and variety of nets used for fishing are. appalling, and 

 their destructive character, supplemented by the spear, are 

 rapidly exterminating the whiteflsh and salmon-trout in Lake 

 Michigan, Green Bay, and in many of the larger inland 

 lakes." 



In 1860 Mr. Kalmbach, who is at present a dealer in Green 

 Bay, began fishing with the pound net in Bay De Noquet ; pound 

 nets were at that time a new institution in these waters, and 

 in fact his was one of the first trials. He employed two pound 

 nets, one. eighteen the other twenty feet deep and twenty- 

 eight by thirty feet square. From the 10th of October to the 

 25th of "November, he took from these nets and salted 1,750 

 half-barrels or 175,000 pounds of No. 1 whiteflsh, and could he 

 have secured assistance, salt, packages, etc., he could more 

 than double this amount, very few fish were smaller than 

 No. 1. Of late years the pound "nets have contained smaller 

 and smaller meshes. The Wisconsin Commissioners in their 

 report for 1874 state, "At Racine there are four boats in con- 

 stant use putting out and taking up not less than twenty-five 

 miles of gill nets. We are told by Mr. Jacob Schenkenbarger, 

 one of our oldest and most intelligent fishermen, that with an 

 equal number of nets only one-fourth as many fish are caught 

 as were taken four years ago." He further says, "Late in 

 October in 1870 I took with a set of thirty nets, at one time, 

 1,980 pounds of dressed trout. Four years ago, it was com- 

 mon to take from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds of fish at each trip. 

 Now we never go over 500, and not unfrequently go less than 

 200 pounds. The lake is filled with nets, and "the fish can 

 hardly escape." 



In the report of 1875, the Wisconsin Commissioners say, "At 

 Milwaukee there are four steam smacks, and two sailing 

 smacks engaged in fishing. These six smacks have a total of 

 sixty-five miles of nets. Each steam smack costs about $7,600. 

 The capital invested at that place is not far from §75,000. 

 Kenosha employs four smacks, with about thirty miles of 

 nets, and the catch is about equal to Racine. In these places, 

 Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee, there is a total of one hun- 

 dred and twentv-tive miles of gill nets used. There is a total 

 of nets used in the waters of Lake Michigan to extend from 

 one end of the lake to the other. During the year 1875 there 

 have been great complaints of scarcity of fish, and there has 

 been a falling off of at least one-fourth; so that it is evident 

 to all that the waters of Lake Michigan are being gradually 

 depleted of fish." 



III. Size of Fish Diminished.— In their report for 1875 the 

 Wisconsin Commissioners say, "In former days the fishermen 

 used nets of a larger mesh and took whiteflsh that weighed 

 from eight to fourteen pounds each, the. latter figures being 

 the largest known to have been caught. Now they have to 

 use smaller meshed nets and take smaller fish, the larger ones 

 being almost unknown now. 



From Green Bay, Mr. Kumlein reported; "Of late years 

 pound nets with small meshes have been largely employed 

 and thereby naillions of young whiteflsh have been destroyed." 



Writing from Port Clinton, Mr. Kumlein says: "In Mr. 

 Nickel's opinion, the mesh is now rarely one-half" the size it 

 was ten years ago. The fishermen and dealers generally pro- 

 nounce the decrease — especially of whiteflsh — very great in- 

 deed. However, Mr. Mathews, of Port Clinton, thinks there 

 are just as many whiteflsh as ever, and as many caught; but, 

 being distributed among more fishermen, they individually 

 take less than formerly. Collectively the catch is pretty 

 much the same as it was ten years ago, or ever was, in his 

 opinion." 



From Menonainee, Wisconsin, Mr. Kumlein writes: "The 

 number of whiteflsh to a half-barrel is yearly growing greater. 

 Sixty has been thought a good number; now, ninety is com- 

 mon. I am informed by Capt. Thos. Larsen, of Menominee, 

 that he has seen a half-barrel filled with twelve no longer ago 

 than 1874. It is the opinion of fishermen north of Menominee 

 that the whiteflsh increased in number on their shore till 1876, 

 when the yield rapidly fell off, till the present date it is esti- 

 mated to have fallen off two-thirds since 1875." 



At Washington Island in 1878, there were over five thousand 

 barrels, ecrual to tolly seven million, five hundred thousand 

 young white-fish thrown away, being too small for market. 



Writing from Green Bav, Wisconsin, Mr. Kumlein says: 

 "During the autumn of 1878 and the spring of 1879, a promi- 

 nent dealer at this point collected from fishermen along the 

 shore of the bay, large quantities of whiteflsh, which he pur- 

 chased already" packed and salted in half -barrels. They were 

 bought for No". 1 fish, but in re-packing he found some "of the 

 packages to contain as many as six hundred fish, and, of 

 course, none were large enough for No. 1. There were a very 

 few No. 2, and the lot was even barely salable as No. 8. 

 Many were found that did not measure three inches dressed." 



IV". Depletion and Search for New Fisheries.— Of the eastern 

 shore of Green Bay Mr. Kumlein says: "The. once famous 

 fisheries of 'The Door' around Washington and St. Martin's 

 Islands, Little Sturgeon Bay and Chamber's Island are no 

 more. On the ground where"once stood forty staunch Macki- 

 naws and five steam tugs, with about four thousand gill nets, 

 brought to their owners in the neighborhood of #100,000 a 

 year, the fishing is now carried on by a few superannuated 

 Indians and the gulls. The same grounds that in 1873 yielded 

 )?4,000 in four months from two pound nets (Chamber's Island), 

 this year have yielded not quite $400 worth, and this with nets 

 twice as large. The fishing grounds about the 'Door' were 

 to the north and west of Vfashington Island, and south and 

 west of St. Martin's, extending out in either direction for 

 eight miles, and between the two islands the whole distance. 

 These grounds were probably the greatest whiteflsh spawning 

 grounds in existence prior to 1868. Now thev are nearly 

 abandoned both by fish and fishermen. From Mav 1 to 

 August 15, 1873, Mr." Blakefield, now of the firm of Bla'kefleld 

 & Minor, of Fish Creek, sold of fresh fishj from two small 



pound nets, set off Chamber's Island, $4, 175.91 worth. This 

 year on these grounds, with nets double the size, and in twice 

 the length of time, the product has been a trifle less than $400. 

 On the same grounds where one boat with two men sold from 

 then- gill nets §9,000 worth of fish in one year, there is no fish- 

 ing at all now. 



Mr. Windross of Green Bay estimates that at Oak Orchard 

 and Pensaukee the catch of whiteflsh has fallen off ninety 

 per cent, since 1869. He lays the decrease in a great measure 

 to the sawdust polluting the spawning beds, and in corrobora- 

 tion of his statements cites the following, which he himself 

 has witnessed. In 1845, the whiteflsh came up the Oconto 

 River as far as the falls, twenty miles, to spawn. With a 

 small seine he took 1,200 half barrels and could have taken a 

 great many more if lie could have used them. This was only 

 at one locality and they entered all the weirs in the same 

 manner. Now, the river bottoms are one mass of saw-dust 

 and it also extends far out into the Bay, so that the sheltered 

 shoals are so covered that the, fish desert them. Saw-dust 

 bottom extends out two miles from shore about the mouth of 

 the rivers. Mr. Windross thinks the. whiteflsh spawn more 

 around the island and on the east shore. Very few spawning 

 on the shore from Suamico to Peshtigo Point. 



Of the tributaries of Green Bay near Menominee, Mr. Kum- 

 lein writes: "From fifteen to thirty years ago the most profitable 

 fishing grounds were in the Menominee River near its mouth. 

 Here racks were constructed which caught the fish as they 

 came down from spawning. On such racks as high as six 

 hundred barrels of whiteflsh have been taken in one autumn 

 on a single rack. 



Mr. Eveland says that not a whiteflsh has been caught in 

 the river for the past twelve, years. As soou as the sawdust 

 began polluting the river the whiteflsh abandoned it. It was 

 no unusual occurrence to take six hundred barrels of white- 

 fish in a season, twenty years ago, on one of the Menominee 

 River racks. 



Duluth, Minn., does not seem to have been much of a fish- 

 ing point Until recently. Now the industry is assuming much 

 greater proportions than in 1879. The town itself is only a 

 few years old. Statement of Ludwig Kumlein, June, 1880. 



Of Bayfield. Wisconsin, Mr. Kumlein says: "The total num- 

 ber of men employed in 1879 was 130. In 1880 there were oyer 

 200. Pounds have been fished here for about twelve years. 

 We could not learn that the decrease has been at all alarming. 

 Ashland Bay (Chequamegan Bay) seems to have suffered the 

 most, it is thought, because pound nets have been set there 

 the longest. When a certain locality begins to show signs of 

 giving out, a new one is found, and a rest, of a few years is 

 said in some cases to have restored the depleted waters. The 

 present year (1880) the fishing is said to be bettor than ever 

 before. But it must be. remembered that the facilities for 

 capture are better, the men more experienced, and the 

 grounds better known. There is also more twine in use than 

 ever before." 



August 30, 1SS0, Messrs. W, W. Paddock & Co., of Ashland, 

 Wis. , who own over 1,200 gill nets, twenty-three pound nets, 

 and seven seines, wrote: "There seems to be only one-third of 

 the whiteflsh caught near Ashland that there formerly was. " 



Of the fisheries of Lake Superior from Keewenaw Point to 

 Huron Bay, where the catch in 1879 was 8,000 barrels, mostly 

 whiteflsh and trout, Mr. Kumlein writes: "Whiteflsh are. said 

 to have decreased considerably in fifteen years, especially in 

 Keewenaw Bay." 



Mr. Kumlein, writing from Marquette of the fisheries ex- 

 tending thirty miles east and west of that place, says: "Fif- 

 teen to twenty years ago the fishing was done almost entirely 

 with hooks for trout and only with gill nets for whiteflsh. 

 Pounds were not used till 1869. There is supposed to have 

 been a gradual decrease, especially among the. whiteflsh and 

 trout. This is stoutly denied by some, who say the fish have 

 merely moved on to grounds inaccessible to the fishermen or 

 not yet discovered by them." 



Mr. Kumlein says "of White Fish Point: "This fishery was 

 purchased in 1870 'by Jones & Trevalle of Buffalo, N. Y., who 

 employ a steamtug, two Mackinaw boats, two pound nets, 

 two seines, and thirty-six box gill nets. Of late the fishing has 

 not been so profitable as it was five or six years ago. In 1879 

 there were but 850 half -barrels salted, while in 1874 there were 

 2,300. They take only whiteflsh and trout. In the last three 

 years the catch has been too poor to pay expenses. " 



West Coast of Lake Michigan. — Mr. Kirtland of Jackson- 

 port, Door county, says that in his neighborhood the amount 

 of whiteflsh hn,s fallen off fully one-third in seven years. No 

 fresh fish at all is sold here now, as it was three years ago, but 

 it is all salted and disposed of to coasters. 



Mr. Marion of Oostburghsays that as nianyfish were caught 

 the last three years as usual, but the number of nets has 

 greatly increased, so that the decrease of each man's catch is 

 thought by some to be fully one-half in ten years. 



At Pentwater, once such a famous ground, there are at 

 present but two boats; in 1874 there were five: ten years ago, 

 seven and good fishing; now it is an almost abandoned lo- 

 cality. 



Concerning the Mackinaw fisheries the figures are quite re- 

 liable. In 1874 Judge G. C. Ketchurn ascertained the product 

 of that year to be equal to 3,542,840 pounds fresh, and in 1879 

 Mr. Kumlein shows the product to be equal to 3,259,896 pounds 

 fresh, or a decrease of 2S2,944 pounds, or eight per cent., in 

 five years. 



While visiting the Lake Huron fisheries, Mr. Kumlein wrote: 

 "It is estimated by Mr. Case that ten years ago, with the same 

 number of nets now used, three times the amount of fish 

 would have been caught. He used to put up 1,200 barrels in a 

 year; now he seldom gets over thirty tons." 



Writing from Erie, Pa., Mr. Kumlein says: "Many years 

 ago Barcelona was the most important fishing point on Lake 

 Erie, but at the present time it amounts to but little. Dunkirk 

 was also for a long time famous, but very little is done there 

 now. Erie, on the other hand, is improving." 



In 1872 Mr. Milner wrote of Sodus Point: "There are three 

 boats here fishing pound nets." In 1879 Mr. Kumlein says: 

 "Now there is none." 



In 1872 Mr. Milner said: "Poultneyville, N. Y., has been a 

 resort for Canadian fishermen for years. Fourteen or fifteen 

 years ago they came over iu numbers, and they canue almost 

 every year." In 1879 Mr. Kumlein said: "Now there are none 

 at alL" 



Front Sackett's Harbor, Mr. Kumlein writes: "Clark and 

 Robbins, of Sackett's Harbor, sav that in I860 they salted 

 2,447 half-barrels ciscoes. while in 1879 they got but 100. Thev 

 th ink such fish as pike, black bass, trout, etc"., have increased 

 since the alewives came, and that the whiteflsh and ciscoes 

 have greatly decreased.'' 



From Lorain county, Ohio, Mr. Kumlein writes: "The gen- 

 eral impression seems to be that the decrease among the 

 wliitefish for ten years; has been very great. Ten years ago 

 there were not more than halt as many nets as now, yet a 

 much greater quantity of fish were taken." 



Speaking of the vicinity of Green Bay, Mr. Kumlein says: 

 "Five years ago Chamber's island supported nine, pound nets, 



od In 



there are but two, and these did 

 ■ar. In $78 Mr. Minor alone sold 

 ;o and one in Buffalo, 819,571.95 

 worth of fresh fish. At the same 

 ashington Island did more than 

 the present tone none at all are 

 junds which once yielded such a 

 iverage shipments per week from 

 ired half-barrels, worth on an av- 

 erage 84. About 1874 the greatest decline was appreciable, 

 and then the fishing suddenly dropped off entirely." 



From 1870-1873 from sixty to one hundred tons were shipped 

 from Fish Creek, and all taken within a radius of ten miles. 

 These were worth four cents a pound to the fishermen on the ioe. 



doini 



not pay e: 

 to two firms, one ir 

 worth of salt fish, a 

 time a Cleveland fil 

 double this Imsine.s 

 shipped from these s 

 revenue. Prior to 1 

 May to July 



No 



At 



3 the ; 

 i hunt 



