The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-01-31
Fish Culture Ia .nfckigan.

On Tuesday, Jan 18th, petition
was presented from over 800 citizens Of
Kalamazoo, representing that the fish IN
! the Kalamazoo lakes and streams of the
States are rapidly decrseaing that other
States had successfully inaugurated
means for keeping up the supply within
their borders, and that in this State the
supply could be maintained at an ex-
peuse SO trlfing as to bear no eompar-
ison with the restlt The petitioners
ask for legislation to protect fish in the
spawning season. and for an appropria-
tions for restocking the public waters
OF the State.
Wednesday forenoon, 10, Rev. Mr..
Portman Of Benton Harlor, who has
given much attention to the subject, was
invited to address the House. He SAL
that the question of the artificial propg
CATION Of fish was somewhat new in this
country, although the practice had been
common in European and Asiatic coun-
tries for some years. In the early his
tory Of thit State the rivers and inland
lakes abounded in excellent fish, But
there was no legislation to protect them
people caught them in every possible
way and this and the ravages of their
natrral enemies had nearly depopulated
the lakes To the subject of re stock
ing these waters he had given attention
for three years From 5000 ova of
speckled trout, hatched about year
ago, he had now 1000 fine fish, and this
year he expected to lay down 10000
spawn of the same species
He had been asked whether the in
land lakes would raise any of the finer
species whte.fsh, lake trout, etc. There
are already lakes that have white fish in
them in Hillsdale and Oakland Counties
and in counties farther north. And he
had no doubt they could be raised in
many others if some pains We're taken.
BY the natural process of impregna.
tion, only about one fourth of the eggs
Of the fish are impregnated. These are
afterwards obliged to contend with wa
ter insects, lizards, little fish, aud fish,
of their own varieties Then, too, q
sediment deposited with the eggs des-
troys many Of them. After they are
haiched, whlle the umbiical sack is at
tached 10 them, the miunow is after
them, 80 that not one III ten Of the quar-.
ter impregnated ever comes to be old
enough to swim Tor itself BY artificial
propagation nearly every egg can be i'm
pregnated. Speckled trout live 10 days
with the umbihcal sack and during that
time are more likely to be destroyed
than at later period, but white.fish re-
tains the umbilical sack for a much less
period, aud can therefore be better
raised.
In all the lakes the catch of fish in
number and size is diminishing. If
/ 'fishermed in Lake Michigan now used
the slme sized meshes to their nets as
they DID ten years ago they would catch
no fish Unless some action is taken
40 years hence the catch of fish will be
SO small, and the quality SO inferior, that
we or our children will greatly regret
the mistakes Of legislation of our day.
What gives the matter still greater
importance at present is the facI that
the General Government has made an
appropriation for hatchiug salmon trout,
and 10000 of the fsa thus hatched are
to be deposited in tho waters of Mlchi-
gan. Legislation is needed for their
protection.
There is another matter of some i'm
portance. Large quantities of white
fish are taken with the eggs already
ripe These spawn are thrown away or
used as an article of export. If fisher
, men would use the dry method of I'm
pregnaton and replace the spawn in the
river, the increase would be kept up;
and some legislation should be adopted
to induce fishermen to do this.
In Northern Michigan waters there
are graveling, very choice and deli
cious fish, 5 well as speckled trout,
which are low taken in quantities in
nets for sale in the Chicago markets.
. More efficient means should be taken
: for their protection.
1t is thought by many chat speckled
trout will not live except in cold water.
Yet last summer the speaker caught ex.
cellent trout in Carp river, where the
water was at rs Fahrenheit. He had
caught them in other waters where the
water was at ~ Many of the
streams in the southern part Of Michi-
gan could prodtably be stocked with
these fish. Where trout VIII rot gro~,
black bass perhaps will, and piclerer
will grow anywhere.
Some questions were asked by mem
bers, and the general impression seemed
to prevail that in addition to means
being taken for Matching fish, the exten-
sion of the present law over the north
ern as well as the southern part OF the
State, and the strict enforcement of the
law against catching trout in nets,
would prove eifectual for the inland
waters Cor. bet. Post.