PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD FISHES, 1&25 441 



Part 2— DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS 



Page 



Summaries of distribution 492 



Method of distribution 495 



Distribution of fishes of interior waters 496 



Car No. 3 496 



Car No. 4 497 



Car No. 7 498 



Car No. 8 499 



Car No. 9 499 



INTRODUCTION 



The development of a cooperative plan of fish rearing with fish 

 and game associations throughout the country represents the chief 

 change in the fish-cultural methods of the bureau in 1925. This 

 work gives promise of largely increasing the production of fish of the 

 larger fingerling sizes and of arousing the interest of anglers to extend 

 greater assistance to Federal and State officials in the work of main- 

 taining the supply of fish in our streams. 



The output of eggs, fry, and fingerling fish was 5,301,862,500, as 

 compared with 5,361,810,600 in the fiscal year 1924. The operation 

 of the bureau's fish-cultural stations has been developed to a high 

 standard of efficiency, and further development will depend upon a 

 larger investment of funds to increase the working capacity of the 

 stations. Only by such methods may the bureau hope to materially 

 increase its output and keep pace with the growing demand for fish. 



The demand for fish for stocking interior waters exceeded that of 

 the preceding year to some extent and was much greater than the 

 bureau could meet, especially with regard to the warm-water species. 

 There has been no noteworthy increase in the activities of the various 

 States, respecting the establishment of fish-cultural stations or the 

 enlargement of their game-warden service. 



The public demand is for larger fingerling fish for stocking purposes, 

 but owing to shortage of funds and insufficient rearing facilities it has 

 not been possible for the bureau to produce them in adequate numbers 

 at its hatcheries. To meet this condition it was deemed essential to 

 solicit the aid of fish and game organizations, and this was done by 

 addressing a letter signed by the Secretary of Commerce, to such 

 organizations throughout the country. In this letter the Secretary 

 called attention to the ability of the organizations to render practical 

 assistance to the Government in its efforts to produce fingerling fish 

 for stocking public waters, especially such fishes as the black basses 

 and crappie. 



Numerous responses and offers of assistance were received from 

 fishing clubs in different parts of the country, and as a result approxi- 

 mately 20 cooperative fish nurseries were placed in operation before 

 the close of the fiscal year. Thus far their activities have been 

 directed mainly to the rearing of small fingerling trout to a length of 

 4 or 5 inches before liberating them in open waters. Such work in 

 the eastern sections of the country, notably in New York and Penn- 

 sylvania, has been begun on a very encouraging basis. As an illus- 

 tration, the organization known as the Central Pennsylvania Fish 

 and Game Protective Association, of Harrisburg, Pa., purchased a 



