372 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



problems that previously had prevented enactment of uniform regu- 

 lation. In spite of the vast amount of scientifically collected data 

 available to support the recommendations adopted at the conferences, 

 little progress has been made in the enactment of the recommenda- 

 tions into laws. 



The necessity of uniform regulation is obvious from the fact that, 

 in many cases, fishermen from 2 States or 2 countries depend on the 

 same population of fish. Lack of uniformity not only causes much 

 unfair competition between fishermen of adjoining States but also 

 fails completely to give the fish the necessary protection. Twelve 

 species of fish have been either exterminated or seriously threatened. 

 The blackfin bloater and salmon of Lake Ontario have been com- 

 pletely exterminated. The sturgeon, blackfin, chub, and Lake Erie 

 cisco no longer support a commercial fishery. The other six species 

 of chubs are severely depleted, and the whitefish is seriously threat- 

 ened with commercial extinction. The final result of continued lack 

 of uniform regulation appears to be obviously indicated by what has 

 happened in the past. 



OYSTER INVESTIGATIONS 



The investigation of various problems relating to oyster culture 

 was carried out in all of the principal centers of the oyster industry 

 of the Atlantic and Pacific coastal States and the Gulf of Mexico. 

 As compared with the previous year, the work was expanded by an 

 experimental study of the oil-pollution problem in Louisiana waters 

 in cooperation with the State Department of Conservation. Pre- 

 liminary surveys made in 1933 clearly indicated the necessity of 

 conducting a comprehensive investigation of this important problem. 



The United States fisheries laboratories at Woods Hole, Mass., 

 Beaufort, N. C, and Washington, D. C, served for laboratory in- 

 vestigations. The Bureau's field stations at Milford, Conn., and 

 Olympia, Wash., were used as headquarters for field investigations 

 and experiments on the cultivation of oysters. In both places the 

 work was carried out in cooperation with the State authorities. 



This work is being conducted under the supervision of Dr. Paul S. 

 Galtsoff. 



EXPERIMENTS ON OYSTER CULTURE 



Experiments on oyster culture were continued by Dr. Galtsoff and 

 V. L. Loosanoff at Milford, Conn., in cooperation with the Connecti- 

 cut Shellfish Commission and the Connecticut Oyster Farms Co. 

 During the summer the State's boat, the Shellfish^ was used for 

 field work in Long Island Sound, while during the cold season the 

 research work was dependent upon the facilities offered by the Con- 

 necticut Oyster Farms Co. All of the laboratory work was carried 

 out at the Osborn Zoological Laboratory, Yale University, and at 

 the United States fisheries laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. As in 

 previous years, much needed information was supplied to the oyster- 

 men regarding the expected time of spawning and setting. On sev- 

 eral occasions, at the request of the United States War Department, 

 Mr. Loosanoff assisted in examining the oysters and oyster grounds 

 in New Haven Harbor to determine the effect of the dredging opera- 



