PROGRESS IN BIOLOGICAL INQUIRIES, 193 3 325 



be developedj it is essential that certain additional work be under- 

 taken. This includes a systematic collection at sea of data on the size 

 and abundance of young haddock below conunercial size and the 

 study of growth and migrations through analysis of scale data and 

 througli tagging experiments. 



Among these requirements the one farthest from realization is the 

 collection of adequate data on the size and abundance of the young 

 haddock below commercial size. Although some data of this type 

 can be obtained by investigators making regular trips on commer- 

 cial trawlers, satisfactory data cannot be collected without the use of 

 an able research vessel equipped for trawling. 



The study of growth and migrations through analysis of scales and 

 by tagging experiments has suffered through lack of time rather 

 than lack of material. Some age and growth determinations have 

 be€n made from the scales to verify the interpretation of our length- 

 frequency data, but we have not been able to give this subject the at- 

 tention it deserves. Experiments with captive haddock have de- 

 veloped a tag which gave good results from releases along the Maine 

 coast, but so far neither this nor other types of tags tried on haddock 

 caught by commercial fishermen on the offshore banks has given 

 even encouraging results. Since it appears probable that these fail- 

 ures may be caused by the rough treatment necessarily suffered by 

 haddock when taken in commercial gear, it may be necessary to await 

 the time that a research vessel is available to permit the careful han- 

 dling necessary for tagging operations. 



Savings gear. — It is apparent that in recent years there has been 

 a decided downward trend in the haddock population level and that 

 under the present fishery this trend can be expected to continue unless 

 remedial measures are adopted. The single most unequivocally prac- 

 tical and beneficial measure now apparent is the prevention of the 

 capture of haddock below market size. These haddock, if left in the 

 ocean, later with increasing size would help to maintain the com- 

 mercial catch at a higher level than would be possible otherwise. 

 The means by which a large part of this saving may be accomplished 

 has been demonstrated by the Bureau's work on " savings gear " in 

 1931 and 1932. At present several of the boat operators are trying 

 out the recommended modifications in the construction of otter 

 trawls. The scarcity of undersized haddock during the past year 

 and distractions of the economic situation have prevented the prob- 

 lem from receiving the attention it deserves. Recommendations have 

 been made to the N.R.A. code authorities for including the restric- 

 tion of mesh size in the fishery code. 



Early life history. — The 1932 observations on early life history 

 were limited to one June cruise covering the area from Nantucket 

 Shoals to Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. The trip was made possible by 

 the kindness of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in de- 

 tailing for our use the Atlantis with her equipment and crew. 

 Although the cruise was made later in the season than those of the 2 

 previous yeai-s, it provided valuable information on the distribution 

 of the late larval stages of the haddock and added another valuable 

 hydrographic survey to our series of records. Probably of most 

 interest are the returns from drift-bottle releases during 3 suc- 

 cessive years, 1931-33, in the Georges Bank-South Channel region. 



