UNITED STATES (lOMMlSSlONKIl OK KISII AND KISHKKIES 



KISCAI. YKAIi KNI)IN(i .HINIO ;)(l, 1!H)2. 



I have- the honor to siihiiiit a report coviU'iiiy tlic lisli-cultiii'iil work 

 juid scieutilic and .statistical iiivostioations of the United States Coin- 

 mission of Fish and Fisheries for th(>. fiscal year endino- June 80, 1902, 

 to«»"ether with the detailed reports of the assistants in charo-e of its 

 diti'crent divisions. 



PROPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



Natural conditions L'<)\'ernin«4- the collection of ('<;•<;•« were o-(»ri<'rally 

 very tavoral>le at all points where operations were carried on, and 

 increased appropriations made it possible to take advanta<;e of these 

 conditions. The Conunission was therefore ena])led to keep up its 

 record and show an increased output of nearly all of the species han- 

 dled, and in the ag^-regate there were distributed over 1, 495,500,000 

 lish and eg'gs, or 321,700,000 more than last year. Of these, 99 per 

 cent were in the interests of the commercial fisheries and 1 per cent, 

 or 14,5)00,000, were g-ame fishes. Popular interest in the Commission 

 and wider knowledo-e of its functions are shown by the increasing 

 number of applications for fish to stock interior waters, 3,S14 having 

 been received, or 25 per cent more than the previous yeai-. 



The propagation of quinnat salmon was carried on in California, 

 Oregon, and Washington, at 12 stations, including several collecting 

 camps, and the season's work was considered very satisfactory. The 

 runs of lish in the various streams were in most cases good, and over 

 5<;,000,()00 eggs were collected. 29,300,000 fry and lingerlings were 

 hatched and planted and 17,480,000 eggs were transferred to the Cali- 

 fornia State Commission. As far as possible fry were held and fed 

 during the winter and planted when about 2^ inches long, but lack of 

 room and other facilities prevented pursuing this polic}^ to its full 

 extent. A few silver-salmon eggs were taken on a tributary of Rogue 

 River, Oregon, and steelhead-trout eggs were o))tained at th(^ same 



F. C. 1902 1 1 



