XII EEPORT TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 



during the two years may be considered on an approximately equal 

 basis. 



The experience gained in the planting of large fingerling and 

 yearling trout, salmon, and other fishes that can be reared to finger- 

 ling and yearling sizes has demonstrated that the distribution of 

 such fishes in the e^^g and fry stages should not be resorted to except 

 when lack of adequate facilities makes it imperative. The signifi- 

 cance of the planting of 1,000 large fingerling fish might easily over- 

 shadow the planting of many times that number of fish of the same 

 species in the fry stage. Because of this fact much of the expansion 

 of fish-cultural equipment and effort for the production of certain 

 fishes has taken place with the view to producing fish of larger 

 size rather than increasing the numerical output. 



The continued efforts put forth by the bureau to produce larger 

 fish have resulted in the distribution of a greater proportion of the 

 output in the fingerling stage. Such increase in the fiscal year 1931 

 as compared with the fingerling production of the preceding year 

 amounted to 28 per cent. Since these larger fish require more space 

 and care than fish in the fry stage, it might be assumed that the 

 total production of the hatcheries in operation would be propor- 

 tionately reduced. As a matter of fact, however, only two species 

 of salmon — steelhead and chum — showed any appreciable decrease 

 in numbers as compared with 1930, while the chinook, sockeye, 

 humpback, and Atlantic salmons showed a substantial increase in 

 production. The output of the other salmons and trout handled did 

 not vary markedly from the figures of the preceding year. 



There was an increased output of practically all the important 

 commercial and game species handled, and in the case of the shad, 

 herring, cisco, pike perch, and winter flounder such increases were 

 large. The decline in the total output may be ascribed largely to 

 a falling off in the production of cod and pollock, such decrease 

 amounting to 1,135,999,000. These species are distributed in the 

 egg and fr}'^ stages, and the egg collections are dependent upon the 

 weather conditions encountered rather than upon the efficiency and 

 effort put forth by the egg-collecting crews. Aside from the cod 

 and pollock operations, the fiscal year 1931 may be regarded as a 

 most successful year from a propagation and distribution stand- 

 point. The year's output, classified according to the character of the 

 fishes handled, may be summarized as follows : 



Game fishes : 



Wnrm-water species— Number 



Basses . 4, 370, OOO 



Sunfisli 12. 658, 000 



Crappie 2S, 549. OOO 



I'ike and pickerel M, 027, 000 



Catfish 84, 521, 000 



Other 101, 000 



Cold-water species : 

 Trouts — 



Brook 10, 200, 000 



Rainbow 13, 380. 000 



Loch Leven IG, 702. 000 



Bladv-spotted 10, 005, 000 



Golden 25. 000 



Grayling 1, 003. 000 



Landlocked salmon 708, 000 



