The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
GREAT LAKES FISHERIES.
The Census of 1900 Expected to Furnish
Surprises Regarding Them.

The census report for 1900 OF the great
lakes fisheries is expected to contain surprises
in respect to the extension Of the fisheries
during the last ten years In the great lakes OF
Superior, Michigan. Huron, Erie and Ontario.
From 1880 to 1890 the number Of fishermen
actually engaged in these waters increa sed 80
per cent. The capital invested during the
same period increased 40 per cent. and the
fish taken increased from US,OOOOOO to 49,
600 900 pounds. or 10 per cent Lake Ontario
was the only one to show loss. In fact the
great lakes fisheries are now the fisheries Of
the great lakes to the west Of Buffalo. and Lake
Ontario is no longer q factor in the matter.
Since 1890 the increase in the number OF
fishermen in capita invested in these fisheries
and in the amount Of fish taken has shown q
ratio even larger than prior to 1890. and 1t Is
for this reason that some important surprises
are expected in the next national census
Very few persons have any very clear idea Of
the wonderful prOductiveness in fish of the
waters of the great lakes. An estimate based
on the known production showed thar in tho
decade terminating with the census Of 1870
900 rounds OF Sh Ter" tpkoH wh ln
capture p% ''@fI0ni sn Tog t6sS "ts"
$a5O 900, and ;,S70 vessels and boats, worth
$685. The apparatus used consisted OF
S9 T%n9s Be- n' iii 1T"R m"tS hs y ysns OF
l
| 500 900: l76 seines and other apparatus.
| The capital invested in shore property directly
| connected with the fisheries was nearly ST.
| OOO.WO These items give, as the total invest
| ment In fishing property, about $3OOO.OUD.
| The quantity Of nsh taken was llS.OOO, 900
pounds. the value Of which at wholesale was
| $2,Gl5. 7S+. and at retail probably S5WO.nOO;
| One curious reason given to account for the
Increase OF the lake fisheries Is the advent. es-
| pecially In the more western hikes OF many i'm
| migrants from the lshing and maritime coun-
| tries OF Europe. particularly Norway, Sweden.
| Germany, Denmark and Finland The Sean
| dnavans and natives OF the Baltic provinces
| Of Germany. as is well known. are excellent
| fishermen. and many OF these ScandinAvans
| and Germans, after coming to tho United
| States. have taken M here the same avoca-
| tons as they pursued in their own count ics
| with the result that there is near each OF the
| great lakes what may be called II fisher
fisheries OF Canada arc largely IN the
control OF the descendants OF two classes
| of emlGrants-tho BretonS from France
| and the Scotch and north of Ireland
| fishermen. In similar fashion much OF the ex-
tensive fishery business Of the Pacific slope Is
In the hands OF scandinavian or Portuguese
fishermen and New Bedford. Mass. still the
ebratrd and lucrative whale fisheries. has still
a considerable local Portuguese population
devoted to the business OF whaling. Two
thirdG OF tho catch Of the fisheries Of the grea
lakes is made up Of four kinds Of tlsh--herring
trout. whtellsh and sturgeon. The catch o
lake trout, which Is one OF the most importan
and highly esteemed fishes OF the great lake.
Increased from 4.3A1 ,O3l pounds. or 10 pc
cent. from 1870 to 1880. II Is most ahundan
In Lake Michigan. Next to herring whitensh i
| the most abundant and most profitable catcl
I In the great lakes.