PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 13 



ALEWIFE FISHERIES. 



It is the purpose of your Commissioners to take up various 

 phases in the conservation of our natural resources, and to 

 present these problems individually in succeeding annual re- 

 ports after due investigation. The alewife fishery of the 

 Commonwealth is a neglected though important asset, possess- 

 ing in itself not only an intrinsic value as a commercial fishery, 

 but also affecting the salt-water fisheries as a whole, by reason 

 that the alewife is one of the great sources of food for the more 

 valuable fishes which come to our coastal waters. We are 

 pleased to announce the completion of a preliminary suivey of 

 all the alewife streams within th< borders of the Common- 

 wealth, and we are now in a position to give definite directions 

 for the reclamation, where possible, of each fishery. The ale- 

 wife situation should receive careful thought, for it opens up a 

 large field for developmental effort. 



FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. 



The Commissioners have general plans for future work along 

 the lines indicated below. 



Inland Fisheries. - - (1) Completion of the survey, now well 

 started, of every public pond, lake and stream in the State, 

 and the determination of a policy for stocking each. 



(2) Increased hatchery production. 



(3) Keeping inland streams free of injurious polluting sub- 

 stances. 



(4) Development of the recreative facilities of our inland 

 lakes and ponds to attract vacationists and keep sportsmen 

 within the Commonwealth. 



(5) Encouragement of private fish raising as a legitimate and 

 profitable industry. 



(6) Introduction of new species of fish into Massachusetts 

 waters wherever environmental conditions are satisfactory, e.g., 

 the Chinook salmon, bluegill sunfish, catfish and whitefish. 



Commercial Fisheries. (1) Development of the shellfisheries 

 by a system of sea farming. 



(2) Re-establishment of the depleted alewife fisheries. 



