Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-03-26

The Testimony of an Ohio ex-Fish Commits
sioner.

The Testimony of an Ohio ex-Fish Commits
sioner.
In view Of the discussion of fish mat
ters in the Legislature. the following
letter by ex-Fish Commissioner d. Y.
Howell, of Ohio, to j. M. Dswsy & Co.. of
Monroe, will be found of interest:
In regard to gill net fishing off Erie
and in the deep waters OF Lake Erie,
writes ex-COmmissiOner Howell, there
are immense quantities of whitsish ia
ken, fishermen operating their nets at
all seasons of the year except whom the
water is covered with ice or storms pre-
vent. The boats generally used are tugs,
enabling the fishermen to make rapid
trips between their nets and the shore in
calm weather. There are thousands OF
nets under the ice now, in consequence
of which the fishermen are unable to got
out to them. have been informed by
fishermen and dealers that they are over
stocked with whitefish during the sum-
mer months and that they have reduced
the size of the mesh until they catch
young whitefish no larger than herring.
1t is fact that tons of these small white
fish have found their way to New York
III
have proved total loss In consequence
of size and condition, whereas had they
been allowed to live and mature their
bulk would have been measured four or
five times as much.
With regard to summer caught gill
net fish in Lake Erie, am Informed that
fully One-half actually spoil before taken
from the water, and although sometimes
offered for sale are not tit for food. Dur
ing extreme warm az well as cold wealth
or the nature OF whitefish cOmpels them
to seek deep water, and the construction
of our lake is such as to peculiarly fit it
for gill net fishing, being in form sOms-
thing like a table spoon, with deep wafer
at the east end or below the islands.
Consequently there are no whitefish ia
ken by pound nets at the head of Lake
Erie, excepting in the fall of the year,
when they are working up for Detroit
river and the shOal waters at the head of
the lake for spawning purposes. Hence
very few whitefsb are taken by pound
nets in cur section compared with the
immense catch by gill nets, especially
in warm weather.
1t is q fact that as seOn as fish is
glled his struggles produces an accu
mutation of gas which cLuses it to bleat
to sHeh an extent that it soon dies of
strangulation, and before the fish can be
got ashore 4 large percentage have be-
come afit for use. La many instances
during the warm weather fishermen are
compelled to puncture their fish in order
to allow the gas to escape, so as TO re-
duee the size to enable them to take
them from the nets, while all fish caught
in pound nets are taken out alive in
perfee health and condition. AS the fish
only come late in the fall, when the wa
ter is cold.
My opinion is that there are az many
whito6sh caught in Lake Erie by count
now as ever before, but the gross weight
is far less, caused by the gill net catch
of immature fish in the lower part or
deep waters of the lake.
few years ago there were but few
gill nets fished in Lake Erie, and in the
fall whltefish were plenty ON our shores,
and the exertiOns of fishermen seemed to
have no effect upon their Numbers and
the quantity taken from year to year.
The lower end OF the lake ia deep water,
where the whitefish rendezvous, the wa
ter Is completely filled with gill nets,
and as the fish change their locality dur
ing the difforent seasons of the year the
gill IleH lOllOW tu1H up, sOtu6thllS al
ter the style the old hunter did the pig
cons.
Mach has been said about destruction
Of fish by pound nets simply because
they are in sight, but could the same
persons see the gill nets which cover the
bottom of the lake they would fully real
iZe that the former are comparatively
harmless.
think that the propagation of white
fish would be OF great advantage to fish
ermen as we'll as to the consumers of
fish, were the yourg fry allowed to grow
to proper size, but the present mode of
fishing with small mesh gill nets below
us is doing mach to Illustrate the efforts
of the fish commissioners.
Much has also been said in regard to
increasing the size of the meshes OF
pond nets, but il is fact that no small
whitefish are taken in the head waters
of Lake Erie and an increase Of mesh
would deprive the labOring class of cheap
coed fish, such as perch. sangers. picker
Ell and herring, besides those small, pre-
daciOus fish would yet be another auxil-
| iary brought to bear against the efforts
and labOrs of the fish commissioners by
destroying the young fry a. soon as dc.
posted in the lake in the spring.
In conclusion l would say that all the
objection that has been urged against
pound net fishing In the head waters Of
Lake Erie, think, is sheer nonsense.
From Puck's cOlOred cartoon Of the
Cabinet we CLEAN the interesting intelli-
eencA that Lamar nadq hia oh aat with a