406 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



been a joint operation of trout and shad hatcheries in the State of 

 South CaroUna. 



The State of Washington donated a site for a trout rearing station 

 which was developed by the Bureau to furnish a supply of fish for the 

 eastern part of the State where we lacked such facihties. 



The mutual benefits of these relationships may be exempHfied by 

 citing the situation in the State of Indiana. This State has a hmited 

 mileage of trout waters but rather than incur the expense of a trout 

 hatchery, it is allotted several hundred thousand trout fry from 

 Federal hatcheries in other States. In return the State utilizes its 

 facilities in distributing practically all of the fish produced at the 

 Federal hatchery at Rochester, Ind. 



The machinery through which these plans became effective is the 

 National Planning Council of Federal and State Fisheries Authorities. 

 The several regional meetings of the organization held during the 

 year have brought about results fully justifying its formation. 



The Bureau has been less active in sponsoring the estabUshment of 

 fish rearing ponds or nurseries to be maintained and operated by 

 private sportsmen's organizations. This movement is well developed 

 now and while fish from Federal hatcheries are always available for 

 suitable club nurseries, it is felt that the initiative should be taken by 

 the groups which are to benefit most. We have continued to furnish 

 assignments to nurseries which have been in operation for several 

 years. Special efl'ort has been made to render informational service 

 by supplying technical data upon the problems of fish rearing, and 

 acting in an advisory capacity. In this connection it is possible to 

 be of as great service by pointing out the futility of attempting to rear 

 fish under adverse conditions, as it is to lay out a rearing plant and 

 formulate a program for its operation. The artificial propagation of 

 fish is enough of a technical enterprise to require the supervision of 

 technical men to give best results. 



The extent of the cooperative relationships with private clubs 

 operating rearing ponds and nurseries was practically unchanged so 

 far as the number of organizations was concerned. Sixty-seven units 

 received fish in comparison with 62 during the previous year. How- 

 ever, the total number of fish assigned was considerably reduced, 

 allotments amounting to 1,750,000, a reduction of more than a million 

 from the assignments made the previous year. This is attributed to 

 increased rearing facilities at the Bureau's own stations, and the fact 

 that better results are obtained by avoidance of overstocking of private 

 rearing ponds. 



SALVAGE OPERATIONS 



By the expenditure of a few cents per thousand fish, it is possible 

 to transfer tens of millions of fish which face sure destruction in the 

 overflowed sloughs of the Upper Mississippi River, to Uving waters 

 where they can survive. It has been the practice each year to salvage 

 these bass, sunfish, crappie, perch and other game and commercial 

 fish, as one of the chief activities in the administration of the Upper 

 Mississippi Wild Life Refuge. The magnitude of the work varies 

 according to river conditions, and in 1935 over 47,000,000 fish were 

 rescued in comparison with 23,873,000 handled the previous year. 

 Only 105,000 were used m restocking other waters, the balance being 

 restored to the river. Fish raised in artificial controlled ponds are 

 now being more widely used for general stocldng purposes. Plans 



