CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



The Federal Government's role in wildlife con- 

 servation 3 



Origin of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service ..... 4 

 The U. S. Fish Commission and the Bureau 



of Fisheries 4 



The Bureau of Biological Survey.. 7 



Transfer and merger 9 



Reorganization in 1956 10 



Organization of the Service.. 11 



Functions of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 13 



Biological research... 13 



Industrial research 16 



Essential services 17 



Commercial fisheries of Alaska 19 



Fur seal industry of Alaska.. 20 



Salton st all -Kennedy program 22 



Columbia River fisheries program 23 



Fishery loan fund 23 



International fishery agreements 24 



Functions of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 



Wildlife 25 



National fish hatcheries 25 



Sport fishery research 27 



Fishery management services 29 



National wildlife refuge system... 30 



Wildlife research • 34 



Law enforcement and game management.. 35 

 Federal aid to fish and wildlife restora- 

 tion 38 



Management of predatory animals and 



rodents 39 



River basin studies 40 



Alaska's sport fish and game 42 



A look to the future • 43 



in 



