2 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
concerned with the major commercial fisheries have been in progress 
for a sufficient time to enable recommendations for revised regula- 
tions and methods of management to be formulated. 
Because the Bureau serves only as an investigative and advisory 
agency in most of the commercial-fishing areas, the practical applica- 
tion of recommendations is difficult and often tardy. More often than 
not, the general public has not been informed of the condition of 
the resources and the need for regulations. The lack of public ap- 
preciation permits the industry to oppose, unchallenged, constructive 
recommendations for legislation which they do not favor. The dif- 
ferences in the laws of States that border on the same waters are 
often a deterrent to the adoption of adequate conservation measures, 
for when the question of uniform laws arises the fishermen often 
clamor for the adoption of the regulations of that State which has 
the least stringent code. The problem of divided control seems much 
nearer a permanent solution at the present time than ever before. 
The success of international commissions, vested with full regulatory 
powers, in bringing about the recovery of depleted marine resources 
that are exploited | in international waters is becoming well known. 
The recent authorization of interstate compacts by Congress for the 
purposes of formulating and enforcing consery ation measures prom- 
ises to provide a suitable vehicle for adequate control of fishery 
resources within the United States. 
The invasion by recreational fishermen of marine and fresh-water 
areas formerly exploited principally by commercial fishermen has 
created additional problems for the fishery biologist. Angling has 
been conducted in commercial-fishing areas for a long time and the 
increase in intensity has perhaps been more gradual than the pub- 
licizing of the enterprise during the last several years would imply. 
Reliable estimates of the angling for certain commercially exploited 
species in areas of the Atlantic coast, the Great Lakes, and the Pa- 
cific coast indicate that the total annual catch of recreational fisher- 
men may equal, at times, the catch of commercial fishermen. The 
magnitude of sport fishing conducted in some areas in competition 
with commercial fishing will necessitate the development of statis- 
tical procedure more complete than exists at present to measure the 
annual catches of both methods of fishing. An extension of the scope 
of research activities to consider the effect of angling on the natural 
abundance of heavily exploited species also will be imperative. 
The cooperation of many States in the collection of reliable com- 
mercial fishery statistics 1s becoming greater each year. Records 
that enable the fishery biologist to study fluctuations in abundance 
in the major fishing areas are “essential to the development of manage- 
ment procedures. Periods of unusual availability or of low levels! 
of abundance can be anticipated if continuous and uniform statis- 
tical records that lend themselves to abundance analyses are available. 
A nation-wide and uniform State system for the collection of daily 
records of individual fishing enterprise for all commercial-fishing 
areas cannot be urged too strongly. 
One of the important functions of the Division of Scientific In- 
quiry during recent years has consisted of cooperation with the Divi- 
sion of Fish Culture in projects related to artificial Propagation of 
food and game fishes. From the “veterinary service” originally pro- 
