Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-02-24


"Reports have just been received
from 384 Michigan fishermen. They
report n total catch during the past
year of &, 292,247 pounds of whitefish,
3, $40, 4l2 pounds Of lake trout, 1891
$50 pounds of herring, 1904 pounds
of bass and 3,325,040 pounds Of stur-
geon, suckers. pike, pickerel and all
other kinds of fish. This represents
total value to the fshermen-first cost,
you know-of $5l9,04l go.
The number of gill-nets in use is
81 800, representing 1,236,927 faith
oms in length, or, if the cords were
placed in a straight line, over 1,545
miles. There are 30 seines, total
length, 4,257 fathoms 216 pike nets,
50 steam tugs, 244 sail boats, POI
pound boats and 1876 skiiIs used in the
business. The number of men en-
ployed is ,459. There are still about
100 pound nets and IS or so gill net
boats to hear from.
"What is Mr.. Brant working on ?"
"Getting up n report to the legis-
lature," replied Mr.. Brant. ave are
trying to approximate the value Of
all the boats, nets, houses and all the
other appliances used by the fisher
men of the State. This will be sub
mitted to the legislature, accompanied
by other facts and statistics, and an
effort made to secure Il license law for
nets. During my recent tour of the
lakes found that fishermen every
where, except few on Saginaw Bay,
were in favor of such q law. There
are few points where the fishermen
are hoggish and want to use small
Irvine. but as II rule they believe the
necessity of regulations to protect
small fish. Most Of them declare
that such Il law should have been
passed years ago"
Speaking of small fish," said Mr.
Kellogg, "let me show you something"
The Secretary produced a cigar
box containing half dozen little fish
-headless, split open, and looking
like miniature Goldfish.
There" said he; "what do you
think of that?"
Herring, | suppose"
"No; they are young whitefish,
about 16 months old. If left in the
water for another 16 months they
would weigh about two pounds each
and bring 3 or cents pound. Mil
lions of these little fish are caught
every year on the west coast of Michi-
gan. The fishermen try to sell them
for half or three-quarters Of cent
per pound. They are sailed, as you
see, to look like herring, but it is i'm
possible to keep them very long.
You can't salt down veal, and neither,
for the same reason, can you salt
down these baby whitetish. Their
flesh is soft and immature. 1t will
not keep. The herring, on the con-
trary, has attained its full growth"
perhaps they catch them in mis-
take for herring?"
"Not bit of it. Herring are not
caught in the places where they get
those whiteiish. All along the west
coast of Michigan there is sort OF
blind channel running between two
shoals or bars. This channel is the
favorite feeding ground of young
whitefish. The fishermen know it,
and they place their pound nets in
such way that few Of the little fel.
lows can escape.
"The waste of these small fish is APP.
palling. One firm in Chicago threw
away 70 tons that would not keep, a
couple of years ago. Thousands Of
tons arc wasted every year. The
shore of Lake Michigan is strewn with
their decomposing bodies. All this
comes from the use of pond nets, and
the slaughter of the innocent will
continue until the law steps in and
puts stop to it.
81 am convinced OH one thing
said Mr.. Kellogg, in conclusion, "and
that is that either the whitefsh must
be sacrificed for the herring, or else
the legislature must say ,ohere herring
can be legally caught"