EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES XXI 



expected that by the fall of 1925 they will make an excellent half- 

 shell stock. 



In cooperation with the State fisheries authorities the bureau has 

 made a careful preliminary survey of the oyster resources of 

 Georgia. Altlipugh there is a heavy production of oysters on the 

 natural beds, these are of inferior quality and have relatively little 

 commercial value. There appears to be no reason, however, why 

 the best type of oysters can not be produced in Georgia waters, 

 and a number of specific recommendations were made, which, if 

 followed, will aid materially in the development of this industry. 



An important event during the year was the conference of oyster 

 producers and distributors and State shellfish commissioners, which 

 was called by the commissioner and held in Washington on Janu- 

 ary 9, 1925. Representatives of the Public Health Service and 

 the Bureau of Chemistry were present and discussed the work of 

 their respective organizations in relation to the oyster industry. 

 The conference was called to discuss the set-back received by the 

 industry because it was alleged that typhoid was being spread by 

 oysters. Resolutions were passed urging closer cooperation between 

 producers and the State authorities to insure the taking of oysters 

 from sanitary beds only, the development of uniform sanitary 

 standards, and the issuance of certificates of approval similar to 

 those used in the handling of milk, canned foods, etc. 



-FRESH-WATER MUSSELS 



One of our largest fresh-water fisheries is that for mussels in 

 the Mississippi drainage. The shells are used in the manufacture 

 of pearl buttons and novelties. During 1922 the yield was ap- 

 proximately 52,000,000 pounds, with a value of over $1,000,000. 

 The manufactured products were valued at nearly $8,000,000. 



Investigations pertaining to fresh-water mussels have been car- 

 ried on for a number of years by the staff of the Fairport (Iowa) 

 biological station, numerous surveys having been made and experi- 

 ments in artificial propagation conducted. In this work the bureau 

 has been closely associated with the various States, and has been 

 instrumental in developing needed protective legislation. As a 

 result of the work of the bureau. Lake Pepin, a widened portion 

 of the Mississippi River lying between Minnesota and Wisconsin, 

 was divided into four approximately equal sections in 1920, two 

 of which were closed to shelling for a period of four years. These 

 two divisions of the lake were reopened in 1924, when the remain- 

 ing two divisions were closed for a like period. 



It has been a matter of more than usual interest to trace the re- 

 sults of this action. A survey conducted in 1924 showed that the 

 two divisions which had just been opened produced 4,000,000 

 pounds of shells — more than twice the production of the entire lake 

 for any one of the 10 preceding years. Information obtained indi- 

 cated that when the shellers started working the newl}?- opened 

 beds they found the mussels apparently as plentiful as when the 

 lake was first fished. It is realized that the heavy shelling now 

 carried on will again greatly deplete the beds, but in the mean- 

 time the remainder of the lake, now closed, is recovering its mussel 

 population and will be ready, when opened in 1929, to relieve 

 the strain on the beds now open. 



