6 U. S, BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



mitted to the bureau. In one or two instances eggs have been pur- 

 chased by a State for incubation in the bureau's hatcheries, but the 

 most important cooperation is probably in the distribution of fish, 

 as it eliminates to a great extent what would otherwise amount to a 

 duplication of eft'ort in the stocking of waters. The bureau has 

 rendered valuable assistance to the States by lending the services 

 of its experienced men to aid in solving their fish-cultural problems 

 and to give advice and assistance in the location and establishment 

 of hatcheries. 



Such governmental agencies as the Forest Service, Reclamation 

 Service, and National Park Service have been of much assistance 

 to the bureau in stocking waters with fish and protecting them. In 

 many cases employees of these services have united in an effort to 

 protect the fish life of streams and lakes and have assisted in the 

 propagation of fish without incurring extra expense to the Govern- 

 ment. Through these agencies fish are transported to remote sec- 

 tions of the public forests and parks and released in waters where 

 they will be comparatively free from molestation for several years. 

 As such waters become stocked the larger fish tend to work down- 

 stream, and in this way the stocking of larger bodies of water is 

 effected. 



The bureau's interest in the fish culture of foreign countries has 

 not lessened with the passing years. In response to requests sub- 

 mitted through the State Department eggs of suitable species have 

 been furnished in as liberal numbei*s as conditions would warrant, 

 and exchanges of eggs have been made with Canada to the benefit 

 of both countries, since it has been the means of replenishing the 

 waters of both with desirable species of fishes not otherwise obtain- 

 able. 



During the fiscal year 1923 cooperative fish-cultural operations in 

 the waters of Lake Ontario were very satisfactory. The Canadian 

 authorities permitted the force of the Cape Vincent (N. Y.) station 

 to make collections of whitefish and lake-trout eggs in the Bay of 

 Quinte, and the local fishermen were very glad to assist in the work,, 

 knowing that the resulting fry would be liberated in Canadian 

 waters. It is the opinion of the bureau that much of the success 

 attained in the Canadian fisheries is due to past activities of the 

 Cape Vincent station. The fisheries of the lake had declined so 

 that no eggs whatever were obtainable at any of the commercial 

 fisheries, and every year the Cape Vincent hatchery was stocked by 

 the transfer of eggs from other stations of the bureau, whitefish 

 eggs being drawn from Lake Erie and lake-trout eggs from the 

 Michigan fields. The bureau is convinced that the upbuilding of 

 the Ontario fisheries has been brought about through the persistent 

 stocking of the lake through the operations of the Cape Vincent 

 hatchery. In recent years the Canadian authorities have generously 

 permitted the bureau's employees to collect spawn in Dominion 

 waters, but on the other hand the annual release of several hundred 

 million fry from Cape Vincent station in this lake must have been 

 a great factor in the upbuilding of the Canadian fisheries. 



