BUREAU OF FISHERIES 79 



purpose of increasing the output of game fish. The Bureau's eft'orts 

 in this direction in 1933 resulted in an increased output for three 

 species of trout, for grayling, and for practically all forms of the pond 

 fish or pan fish. It is particularly gratifying to report an output of 

 almost 514 million largemouth and smallmouth black bass. The pop- 

 ularity of this fish is responsible for a heavy demand. In fact the 

 demand for all species of game fish, as shown by the number of 

 applications, has undergone no abatement. In addition, special effort 

 has been made to increase the planting of fish in the public domain, 

 particularly national forests and national parks. The supply of 

 trout eggs obtained from wild fish or from station brood stock was 

 adequate for all requirements, no eggs being acquired by direct pur- 

 chase. The practice of distributing fish by truck was expanded, 

 although the increased output required the full use of four distribu- 

 tion cars. It is desirable to emphasize that many of the species listed 

 as commercial varieties — for example, the lake trout, pike perch, 

 steelhead salmon, etc. — are eagerly sought by the sportsmen, and the 

 actual replenishment of sport fishing is greater than is indicated in 

 the relatively small percentage listed as the output of strictly game 

 fishes. 



RESCUE OPERATIONS 



Kescue or salvage operations on the upper Mississippi River, chiefly 

 within the confines of the Upper Mississippi Wild Life and Fisli 

 Refuge, covered the handling of over 72,180,000 fish, an increase of 

 20,569,000 over last year. In addition a considerable production of 

 bass and other species was obtained from seminatural controlled 

 ponds, operated as auxiliary hatching ponds within the refuge. As 

 usual approximately 1 percent of the rescued fish were distributed to 

 other than parental waters. 



AQUARIUM 



The aquarium, maintained in the basement of the Department of 

 Commerce Building, was a focus of increasing public interest. Ap- 

 proximately 1,000 specimens of 57 different species of native and 

 tropical fish were on display during the year, together with 10 species 

 of aquatic reptiles, Crustacea, etc. Hatching apparatus was installed 

 to demonstrate the incubation of eggs of trout, salmon, shad, white- 

 fish, pike perch, and yellow perch. A model fish ladder was also 

 shown. Several rare and unusual forms, such as the Alaska black- 

 fish and Eastern golden trout, were added to the collection. 



STATISTICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 19 31 



New England States. — During 1931 the fisheries of Maine, New 

 Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, employed 

 17,900 fishermen, or an increase of 5 percent over 1930. The catch 

 amounted to 540,298,000 pounds, valued at $20,141,000 — a decrease of 

 23 percent in the catch and 27 percent in the value as compared with 

 1930. Landings of fish by American fishing vessels at Boston and 

 Gloucester, Mass., and Portland, Maine, amounted to 263,685,000 



27799—33 2 



