CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATIONAL FISHING EFFORT 



The number of persons who in 1959 fished in ponds which had been 

 stocked by the Bureau in 1957, is estimated to exceed one million 

 (ijO X 2'J,2k6 - 1,089,840). Fishery managers believe that most ponds 

 maintain a level of productivity equal to the first year of fishing 

 for from 5 to 7 years. Ponds stocked in 1957 are believed typical 

 of those stocked for the preceding four years. 



Swingle (1952) proposed that, "Balanced ponds containing the 

 bass-bluegill combination have continued to give good fishing for 

 up to 7 years in experimental ponds, and, so far as records are avail- 

 able up to lU years in private ponds - where fish kills did not occur, 

 pond weeds were controlled, and fertility was kept high by the use of 

 inorganic fertilization." 



Five years is proposed as an average productive life, without 

 renovation and restocking. When ponds stocked for the h years pre- 

 ceding 1957 are included in the estimate, as many as^ five million 

 people fo-und recreation in 1959 ty fishing in ponds stocked by the 

 Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. The number of fishermen 

 (l2 years and older) in the United States, who fished in fresh water, 

 was estimated by the National Survey of Fishing and Himting to be 

 18,420,000 in 1955. This number had grown to at least 20,000,000 

 l^y 1959, based on increases reported in sales of fishing licenses. 

 (The number of fishing license holders, as reported by the States, 

 rose from 18,85^,809 in 1955 to 20,006,536 in 1959, or by 6.1 per- 

 cent.) This indicates that in 1959, one in fo\ir fresh-water fish- 

 ermen fished in farm and ranch ponds stocked by the Bureau. 



Since the 2.5 percent- sample of ponds stocked by the Bureau of 

 Sport Fisheries and Wildlife in 1957 provided an estimated 103,854 

 fisherman- days in 1959, the fishing resulting from all ponds stocked 

 in 1957 is calculated to be at least h million fisherman- days 

 (40 x 103,854 = 4,154,160). All ponds stocked by the Bureau from 

 1953 to 1957 could then be credited with more than 20,000,000 

 fisherman- days during 1959 (calculated figure: 20,770,800). 



The National Survey of Fishing and Hunting reports an estimated 

 338,826,000 man-days of fishing for all fresh waters in 1955. Apply- 

 ing the same rate of increase as indicated above, there were 

 359,494,000 fisherman- days expended in fresh-water fishing in 1959* 

 The percent of fishing in ponds stocked by the Bureau in relation 

 to the total fishing effort in fresh water in 1959, exceeded 

 5 percent (20,770,800 * 359,494,000 = .O57) . 



The hatchery and distribution costs of the fish stocked in 

 ponds in 1957 vas about $l6 per acre of water stocked. The cost 

 per fisherman- day, resulting from the hatchery contribution, was 



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