soil conservation are, in part, the responsibility of 

 the Federal Government. 



As the fishing pressures on fish populations of 

 inland waters continue to increase, many States are 

 unable to cope with the problem of replacing fishery 

 stocks and turn to the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 

 Wildlife for help. Tremendous fishing and recreational 

 opportunities have developed below a number of major 

 dams as a result of changes in stream ecology, some 

 occurring in semiarid areas such as the Lower 

 Colorado River where the sport of fishing was at a 

 low level before the construction of the dams. 



An important function of the national fish-hatchery 

 system is the propagation of species of fish that are 

 threatened with extinction, difficult to rear, or vital 

 to the success of interstate or international fishery 

 programs. Examples of such species are Atlantic 

 salmon, lake trout, grayling, and cutthroat trout. 

 Another contribution is that made to the spectacular 

 Pacific salmon fisheries. The output of national fish 

 hatcheries maintains salmon runs in the Columbia 

 River system, in Puget Sound, and in the Sacramento 

 River system in California- -benefiting both sport 

 and commercial fishermen. 



The efficiency of the national hatcheries has 

 constantly improved through research on problems 

 of disease and nutrition, training programs for 

 hatchery employees, and an alert and progressive 

 attitude toward the development of new techniques 

 and equipment. Agreements governing the distribution 

 of fish from national hatcheries are in force with 

 every State. Today's modern fish planting programs 

 are based on actual knowledge of the waters to be 

 stocked. Hatcheries, and their output, now are con- 

 sidered a management tool and as such they can be 

 integrated into a productive and effective program 

 for the improvement of sport fishing throughout the 

 country. 



Sport Fishery Research 



Fishery managers are faced continually with the 

 problem of how to improve sport fishing. Since man- 

 agement is largely based on research, it becomes the 

 problem also of the fishery biologist. The biologist 



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