PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 25. 25 



FISH CULTURE. 



THE FISH CROP AS AN ASSET TO THE COMMONWEALTH. 

 Fish, in addition to the recreative advantages which they 

 afford, have a market value which is often little considered. 

 The fisherman who brings home a mess of fish is not only furnish- 

 ing himself with a good day's sport, but also is lessening his 

 butcher's bill by supplying a substitute for meat. Particularly 

 is this true of the white, yellow and pike perch as well as other 

 food fishes with which the Commissioners are stocking the 

 lakes of the Commonwealth. From a recreative standpoint 

 the value of the fish and game crop far outweighs its market 

 value. The development of our beautiful fresh-water lakes for 

 summer campers attracts many business men from the cities, 

 increases the taxable property in rural communities, and 

 furnishes direct and indirect financial benefit to the local 

 inhabitants. 



OUR INLAND WATERS. 



Too few persons take advantage of the splendid oppor- 

 tunities for sport and recreation which are at hand. Your 

 Commissioners are hard at work on the problem of stocking 

 the inland waters with suitable fish for the benefit of the 

 public, and though considerable progress has already been 

 made, far greater advances should soon follow. Surveys to 

 determine the suitability of these ponds and streams are now 

 being completed, and the productive capacity of the State 

 hatcheries is being increased as rapidly as appropriations will 

 permit. 



The past few years have witnessed radical changes in our 

 fresh-water fisheries. The advent of the automobile and 

 motorcycle has caused a great increase in the number of fisher- 

 men, and correspondingly a great drain upon the natural 

 resources of our ponds and streams. Not only the inland 

 waters easily accessible by road and rail, but also those in the 

 more remote and outlying districts are excessively fished. 

 There is but one means of solution. To offset the foregoing 

 conditions greater efforts must be forthcoming in artificial 

 propagation. 



