The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-02-03
OURF0ODF FISH.
Some Pertinent Facts From the
Pen of a Writer Who Under
stands the Business.
DEATH TO THE PICKEREL.
FISH Laws Need Fixing and Need
it Badly-M. f. kalmbach
Writes.
Editor of THE ELY MINER.

The food fish fishermen, and In fact
every business man within the limits
of ST. Louis, Lake and Cook counties
are interested in the enactment OF
more suitable laws for the maintain
ance and future development of the
fishing industry of the international
waters OF this section, and i trust
thai Tie following may be of sufficient
interest 10 entitle it to space in your
valuable paper:
Our last legislature well nigh
straagied The entire fishing industry
by tie passage Of Il law that prohibit
ed the ,iSe OF AL MEETINGS except
gouna aetS this law il it had been
enfurcet: on Lake Superior as it was
on the boundary lakes, would have
entaiied much loss and virtually de-
stroyed the food fish industry of the
state. except the Lake of the Woods
fisheries where pound nets could be
used successfully in taking sturgeon.
and for the use of which this law was
eyidcatly constructed.
But much. loss however was thrown
upon the fishing enterprises establish
ed along the Intern ltional boundary
lakes for the reason that pound nets
are not practicable in the rocky for
NATION of that section, and all other
netting was strictly prohibited.
The present fishing industry of
Minnesota is Of course comparatively
small when compared to Michigan
and Wisconsin, but compare our
water area and natural resources
lying untouched in our boundary
lakes and we surpass either of them
in Ghe quantities Of available food
fish which under proper legislation
would be source of revenue to the
state, and at the same time develop
new business enterprises and gives
employment to a large number OF our
idle citizens, our resources of fish
food like our mineral deposits are in
eXhaustable, there are today hundreds
of lakes within the limits ofSt. Louis,
Lake aud Cook counties untouched
by either fishermen or spOrtsmen in
which the natural annual increase
is simply wasted by being used as
food for the (OyergrOwn wolves OF our
lakes) pickerel if we leave those lakes
untouched for the next fifty years we
will find no increase but rather lind
that ali the choice varities such as
whitetish, trout and pike are exter-
minated by the voraciOus pickerel,
and yet those very pickerel are pro-
tected by the game laws now in force.
No good farmer would place dozen
wolves into an inclosure with a
hundred or more sheep and expect to
save his flock, it is on the same
principle our lakes are daily growing
less valuable, because of this mistaken
idea that they must be protected
against the encroachments of the
food fishermen and must be wholly
given over to the sportsman. There
should be no law to protect pickerel
but rather bounty for their speedy
determination il the choice varieties
OF both game and food fish are to be
preserved in our inland and boundary
lakes. What we need now to pre-
serve our lakes for the sportsman as
well as for the food fisherman are
laws that will throw acertain number
of them open to fishermen for some
stated time in which 1t will be
possible to exterminate, or at least
reduce the pickerel to minimum,
either under lease or license. allow
any kind of netting to be used that
may suit the purpose OF the fishermen
then make it punishable by heavy
fine or Imprisonment IL they kill or
dispose of any of the choice varieties
OF either game or food fish under GER
tain prescribed weights as to kind,
close seasons should also be established
for white fish, trout, walleyed pike
and black bass. Then as soon as a
lake was cleared of pickerel there
would be no trouble to restock and
maintain it with such varieties OF
either food or game fish as best suited
its water and food conditions.
The fshdealers throughout our
state have for years purchased the
largest portion OF their supply from