BUREAU OF FISHEEIES IX 



is making arrangements to bring more oysters from Pearl and 

 Hermes Keef in tiie continuance of the restocking policy. 



FisJieries of the Virgin Islands. — R. H. Fiedler and N. D. Jarvis, 

 on May 2, 1931, were cletailed to conduct a survey of the fisheries of 

 the Virgin Islands of the United States with a view to alleviating 

 the present economic plight of these islands. Work began on May 

 15, 1931, in St. Thomas, and the preliminary survey was completed 

 on May 30, 1931. The survey revealed that during the calendar year 

 1930 the fisheries of the Virgin Islands of the United States em- 

 ployed 405 fishermen. Their catch amounted to 616,000 pounds of 

 fisher}^ pioducts valued at $49,080 to the fishermen. In making the 

 catch the fishermen used 1 motor boat, 38 sailboats, and 147 rowboats. 

 The gear employed consisted of 40 haul seines, 90 tangle nets (turtle), 

 113 cast nets, 297 lines, and 1,600 set pots. About one-third of the 

 total catch Avas made by set pots, one-third b}^ seines, and one-third 

 by lines or other types of gear, and by hand. In addition, it was 

 determined that the industry in the islands is faced with the prob- 

 lem of marketing the catch now^ obtained rather than the lack of a 

 sufficient supply. There is reason to believe that there are many 

 times throughout the year' when the local markets are glutted with 

 fish, making it impossible to dispose of the catch. Two plans ap- 

 peared feasible for relieving the situation. These are: (1) Expand 

 the market for fresh fish; (2) establish a local fish-curing industry to 

 replace imported cured fish. In order to further these plans Mr. 

 Jarvis remained in the islands for several weeks to conduct exj^eri- 

 ments along these lines. These experiments have proved successful ; 

 and if the findings are adopted it is believed that the economic wel- 

 fare of the fisheries of the islands will be materially improved. 



FISHERIES CONFERENCES 



On October 27 and 28, 1930, the bureau was represented at an im- 

 portant interstate fisheiy conference at Savannah, Ga., called by the 

 fish and game commissioner of Georgia to consider various fishery 

 problems of common interest to Korth Carolina, South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Florida, with special reference to oysters, shad, and 

 shrimp. The conference adopted a resolution favoring extension of 

 private oyster culture and the application of modern methods of 

 oyster farming, also one favoring restriction of the shad fisheries, 

 protection of spawning grounds, and provision for escapement of a 

 sufficient spawning reserve. 



At the invitation of the Commissioner of Fisheries, conservation 

 officials and leading conservationists of Maryland, Virginia, West 

 Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia met at the 

 bureau on December 9, 1930, to formulate a program for the rehabili- 

 tation of the game fishes, particularly the black bass, the control of 

 pollution, and the protection of the shad in the Potomac River. 



Resolutions were passed recommending (1) uniform laws govern- 

 ing the fisheries in boundary waters; (2) measures designed to afford 

 the black bass proper protection; (3) effectiAe laws for the protec- 

 tion of the shad; (4) the enactment of legislation by the States for 

 more complete sewage and trade waste disposal; (5) provisions for 

 cooperatiA^e study on means for disposing of industrial Avastes; and 

 (6) the preA'ention of the ijollution of streams. 



