Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-17
DIST R.IBUTION OF FISH
COMMISSIONER BOWERS DESCRIBES
GOVERNMENT WORK.
Increase in the Product of Lakes Erie
and OntariO-Western Carp
Shipped to the East.

The annual report of the United States
commissioner of fish and fisheries Mr.. Geo.
NJ. Bowers, says that the present amount
of capital invested in the fisheries of the
New England states is $40 .637 .036. showing
a decrease of S437 .75S since the commits
sions last statistical canvass in 1889. This
decrease, however, is stated to be only ap-
parent, being caused chiefly by the transfer
of the menhaden industry to New York.
The New England food fisheries in the ag
gregate have increased in quantity and de-
creased only slightly in value. There are
o.445 persons employed in this work and
1.427 vessels, valued. with their equipment.
at 4,22i ,s39. The total product is 393,355.-
$40 pounds worth - ST. 7U2, the fishery for
cod. cusk. haddock, bake and pollock rank
ing first, with value of 81 79S, 109, followed
by the oyster fishery of Rhode Island and
Connecticut, worth $1,9l0,6S4 The lobster
fishery is next in commercial Importance.
being worth $1,2I6.900 While the catch
has fallen from 80 600 pounds in 1889 to
1900. coo in 1898. the price of Holsters has
so advanced that the value of the industry
has increased a corresponding degree
Fisheries of the Lakes.
The inquiry conducted on Lake Erie in
the calendar year 1895 shows decided in
crease in the fisheries of this lake since the
product, capital invested and number Of
persons employed. This is chiefly shown In
the catch of whitefish and lake herring.
The yield of pike perch. though large, is
not considerably greater than in former
years. Three thousand seven hundred and
tWenty-eight persons and 104 vessels are
engaged Ill the industry, representing an
investment Of 81. 719,6O0- In 1899 5S,395000
pounds of products were obtained, worth
S1.15ns90. A feature of the fisheries is the
n
amounting to over 3,600,0OO pounds, valued
at SOL 400.
On Lake Ontario, where for several years
there has been a decided falling off in the
con mercial fisheries. there was found to
be material Improvement. the yield being
nearly three times as great as in 1897, and
1t would appear that the effect of the fish
cultural operations which have been con-
Quoted here are beginning to be felt The
number of persons engaged and capital In
vested are also proportionately greater
The yield in 1880 amounted to nearly 2,5O0,-
900 pounds, valued at over 100000
Gloucester Fishing Industry.
The quantity of fishing products landed at
Boston and Gloucester shows an increase
of more than 30, 0O0,o0 pounds. with an in
creased value of over 81 100000. The bulk
Of the increase is to be credited to GIouces-
ter The total products landed from Amer
lean vessels at the two ports amounted to
116,U4.3Ol pounds, and were valued at
nearly S4.26D,000.
Inquiries now in progress along the great
lakes and in the Mississippi valley show
that an increasing number of carp are be-
ing caught and shipped chiefly to the
markets of the larger eastern cities From
Lake Erie and the Ohio river and certain
of It's tributaries the quantity Of this species
taken is nine times as great as six years
ago. From the Illinois river more carp
are taken than all other species combined,
the catch for 1899 amounting to 6.3322. 900
npup1S aimed q
pear that this FISH will become more and
more an important factor in the food-fish
supply of the country.
The American fur seal herd continues to
decrease in numbers through the coatinu-
ance of pelagic sealing. and the recent
counts show that fewer pups are born.
Distribution of Fish.
The total number of fish distributed by
the government in the past fiscal year was
1, f64. 336. 754, an increase. principally or
shad. cod, aatfsh white fish and lake trout,
of about 100000. 900 over the previous year.
Owing to the excessive drought in Caiifor
MIA In 1899 few salmon assembled Battle
creek and McCloud river far the
hatcheries. The Columbia river tOregon)
results were better, though the run of sal
mon was poor. An attempt will be made
to all salmon fry to the yearlinS
stage before liberattng them AT Baker
Lake. Washington. the propagation of the
sockeye and blue-back salmon, perhaps the
most important commercially Of the Puget
sound salmous has begun. and over TO-
6t0,G00 fry have been Matched and planted
there and in the Skagit river. About 49,,
900, 900 lake trout eggs were collected on
Lake Michigan spawning grounds, and over
12O0O. 600 from the Lake Superior grounds
At the Lake Erie stations over S5I ,S.}S 900
white FISH eggs were Matched and the fry
liberated. a gain of nearly 2G0 0O0, 900 over
the year before.
Very satisfactory results have been at
tanned at the New England stations de-
voted to the propa CATION of marine com
mercfai fishes. The decrease of the lobster
fishery in New England is shown by the
large decrease of men engaged in 1t. In the
shad propagation the year showed an in
crease of 6,0U,0OO more fry Matched and
planted than last year. IN the Mississippi
valley thousands of the commoner fishes
which had been left by the receding waters
in ponds and lakes have been transferred to
the main river or some Of its tributaries,
and thus preserved
The stocking of suitable streams with the
various species of trout has been continued.
special attention being paid to the distribu-
ton of brook trout, rainbow trout and
black-Spotted trout
Investigations designed to give practical
assistance to the oyster industry have been
carried on. The results Of the experiments
in fattening oysters by increasing the pro-
ductiveness in inclosed waters of their nat
ural food have given much encouragement.
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