PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1932 535 

 COOPERATION WITH OTHER CONSERVATION AGENCIES 



The attitude of the large sportsmen's organizations, individual 

 sportsmen, and commercial fishing interests leaves no room for the 

 conclusion that there is an excess distribution of hatchery fish or a 

 surplus of facilities for their production. In view of this situation the 

 operation of both Federal and State hatcheries witliin any given area 

 can not fairly be considered a duplication of effort, since too frequently 

 their combined output is not adequate to meet the purpose for which 

 intended — namely, the maintenance of an abundant stock of food 

 and game fishes. In the practical execution of these enterprises 

 cooperative programs may be developed which will insure more effec- 

 tive work by the agencies concerned and prevent overlapping or 

 duplication of effort in some particular area without affecting the 

 essential truth that a vast field is not being thorouglily and adequately 

 covered. This cooperation is largely in the nature of technical manage- 

 ment and more effective routine administration. During the past 

 year the bureau maintained effective and mutually beneficial affilia- 

 tions with some 22 States. In the majority of cases the States were 

 the principal beneficiaries, which is in line with the original concept of 

 the bureau's activities to aid and promote State conservation work. 

 The following citations constitute only a mention of some of the out- 

 standing examples of the cooperative arrangements in effect, since it 

 is not feasible to include a full summary of details of a more or less 

 routine nature. 



As heretofore, the Montana fisheries authorities assisted the bureau 

 in the operation of the Miles City (Mont.) bass hatchery and inter- 

 changes of eggs between that State and the bureau were made wliich 

 resulted in an appreciable saving to both agencies. In the work of 

 propagating pike perch at its Lake Champlain hatchery the bureau 

 received assistance from Pennsylvania and Vermont, and the first 

 mentioned State assumed part of the work of distributing young trout 

 to the cooperative sportsmen's nurseries operating witliin its bound- 

 aries. The most cordial relations were maintained with the State of 

 Micliigan in the collection of eggs of the commercial fishes of the 

 Great Lakes, and similar arrangements prevailed in connection with 

 the operation of the Federal and State salmon hatcheries in the States 

 of Washington and Oregon. The bureau continued to hatch trout in 

 considerable numbers at its West Virginia hatchery for account of 

 that State. The bureau's only existing striped bass hatchery was 

 operated jointly with the State of North Carolina, and the North 

 Carolina authorities rendered material assistance in distributing 

 game fish from the bureau's Albemarle Sound station. Virginia, 

 Maryland, and a number of States in the Middle West have entered 

 into joint distribution arrangements with the bureau which have 

 resulted in considerable saving. In the Rocky Mountain area, where 

 the collection of wild trout eggs is one of the most important features 

 of fish-cultural endeavor, the bureau received State assistance, making 

 it possible by virtue of the arrangements entered into to allocate 

 eggs to these States in considerable numbers. During part of the 

 year one of the bureau's employees was detailed to initiate trout- 

 cultural work in South Carolina, and a similar plan was followed in 

 Arkansas in connection with the development of the large bass hatch- 

 ery operated by that State. During the latter part of the fiscal year 

 plans were formulated by the bureau and the New York fisheries 



