2 History of Fish Management 



plexity of fish management; however, its history is bound up with the 

 broader term "fish culture." 



We might somewhat arbitrarily divide fish culture and management 

 into three time periods— a division that has its greatest relevance to the 

 student of fish management. The first, which stretches from its earliest 

 development in the pre-Christian era to about 1900 a.d., is characterized 

 by classical fish culture. The second, which roughly covers the period 

 from 1900 to the 1930's, represents the first gropings (often blind and 

 erroneous ones ) toward the manipulation of wild populations. The third, 

 which began in the 1930's and extends to the present time, is identified 

 with tlie development of modern ideas and methods related to managing 

 "wild" fish in natural and artificial waters. 



Thus, fish management as an integrated science is rather recent, and 

 it may he said to have had its beginnings when fishery biologists began 

 to study fish populations as composite units. Nevertheless, to recognize 

 the importance of what went before, one must consider the historical 

 records of pond-fish culture that began with the earliest historical writings. 



EARLY POND-FISH CULTURE 



In almost all written history there are references to fish ponds or fish 

 culture. A study of these records reveals that the Chinese were well versed 

 in raising fish many years before the time of Christ. Also, it can be seen 

 that the Romans copied the techniques of this art at a very early time, 

 although they probably added nothing to the knowledge of fish culture 

 that existed in the ancient Chinese civilization. 



Pond-fish culture spread through Europe during the Middle Ages. 

 The first carp ponds were built in Wittingau ( Czechoslovakia) in 13 58, 

 and for the next 400 years in Europe this was the center forraising^ond 

 fisL^^ During this period, fish culture became quite^compTex. Forexample, 

 carp culture very early demanded specialized holding areas, such as 

 spawning and hatching ponds (where fry were allowed to grow during 

 the first summer) and growing and fattening ponds. Further, in the fall, 

 carp had to be moved to deep wintering ponds. Special strains of carp 

 were developed, much as various strains of domestic animals have been 

 produced. Thus, from the 15th to the 18th ce nturies, with this growth in 

 complexity, men, such as North,^'' Baccius,^ and others, presented detailed 

 te chniques for raising pedigreed carp and other common fish useful for 

 food. These investigations have been continued up to the present, and 

 much progress has been made in an understanding of the many facets 

 composing the pond habitat for fish. 



P Since pond-fish culture in Europe represented food production, it sup- 

 plied a cash crop that was harvested much as any other farm crop. How- 



