344 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



The committee finds that existing facilities are quite inadequate to enable 

 this broad program to be entered into. The prime essential is a suitably 

 equipped research vessel, * * *. 



Additional personnel will be essential in both countries, as far as the United 

 States part of the program is concerned at least two fish measurers or quay men 

 would be required to collect statistics of commercial catches, and a technical 

 assistant would be necessary to assist in laboratory work and sorting of material. 



It is recognized that, even by making such provision, the authorities will not 

 provide for a full completion of the program outlined. Some aspects, especially 

 those of the early haddock stages, will receive quite inadequate attention in the 

 absence of the provision of a suitable research vessel. 



It has not yet been possible to make a start on any of the projects 

 of the joint program because of the unavailability of additional 

 personnel or facilities. 



MACKEREL 



The paramount influence on the stock of mackerel in the sea (and 

 consequently the size of the catch) is the variability in the degree to 

 which annual recruits of young mackerel serve to offset the decline 

 due to mortality of the older stocks. Since 1925 continuous observa- 

 tion of the catch and its age composition has proved that certain year 

 classes, such as those of 1923, 1928, 1930, and 1931, were so plentiful 

 as to more than offset mortality of the older stocks. Certain others, 

 those of 1924, 1927, and 1929, were so poor that they did not fully 

 counterbalance mortality of the adult stock ; and still others, those of 

 1925 and 1926, were practically nonexistent. 



These variations in numerical strength of the different year classes 

 have been the dominating cause of all the fluctuations that have oc- 

 curred in the last 9 years and have formed the basis of annual 

 predictions on yield since 1928. 



Although the ultimate causes of fluctuations — the conditions re- 

 sponsible for inequality of the year classes — remain unknown, it is 

 fairly certain that they cannot be controlled by man, for they come 

 into play while the mackerel are very young and before commercial 

 fishing has any effect on them. There remains, however, the problem 

 of making the best possible use of such year classes as the conditions 

 in the sea permit to survive. This is being done in part by the pre- 

 dictions already mentioned for they permit the members of the in- 

 dustry to foresee, in general, the prospects for the coming season. 

 Thus, the disorganizing effects of fluctuating supply can be mini- 

 mized to the extent that the affairs of their business can be altered 

 to meet the situation. 



These predictions take into account only the general level of abun- 

 dance for the season as a whole. In many ways it would be more use- 

 ful to have foresight of what is to happen during the parts of the 

 season. For instance, if scarcity were destined to prevail during the 

 latter part of the season, freezing and salting could be accelerated 

 during the early parts and vice versa. This would benefit the fisher- 

 man by expanding the market during times of glut and benefit the 

 buyer by avoiding to a greater degree the understocking or over- 

 stocking of frozen and salted mackerel. 



The third and perhaps most important question to be solved before 

 the most effective use can be made of this resource is the relative 

 value, biologically speaking, of the yearling mackerel. Following 

 the advent of successful year classes, these are caught in large quanti- 



