14 U. 8S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
STATISTICAL INVESTIGATIONS 
Fishery statistics are collected by the Bureau to serve two principal 
purposes—first, biological, and second, economic. For this reason 
the Bureau must plan its statistical surveys to obtain comprehensive 
data for furnishing a complete and reliable picture of the condition 
and trend of the fisheries. The collection and compilation of the 
great mass of data necessary, involves many problems. The fisheries 
are broad in scope, including over 160 varieties of aquatic products 
which enter into commercial production. These, many of which are 
migratory, are taken by a great variety of types of gear in areas along 
our seacoast and in our interior lakes and streams. If the biological 
aspect is to be served, complete annual statistics are needed on each 
of these phases in every section. If the economic aspect is to be 
served, statistics are needed not only on the phases listed above 
relative to the biological aspect, but also on the price structure, the 
processing function, and on marketing and distributing. 
Statistics on these latter phases of the industry should be collected 
and published as soon as possible after the close of the business trans- 
actions in order to be of maximum value to the industry and others 
interested in the fisheries. However, because of limited funds and 
personnel it has not been possible to collect and publish these figures 
as currently as desired. For the same reason it has not been possible 
to collect statistics on the fisheries of the entire United States on an 
annual basis. 
BIOLOGICAL ASPECT 
The biological aspect must consider two problems—the conserva- 
tion and sustained supply of the resource, and the prediction of future 
trends or yield. Since our fisheries are usually prosecuted in areas 
not under private ownership, the problem of the conservation of these 
fisheries is of national concern. It, therefore, is important that close 
watch be kept of the condition of the various fisheries to detect 
depletion so that remedial measures can be promulgated timely and 
wisely. For this reason it is imperative that current statistical data 
be obtained on the yield of our fisheries. 
These statistics then furnish the biologist with the background 
upon which to base his prediction of future trends and yields. This 
he does by coupling the statistical data with studies of the life history 
of the species. Difficulty is experienced in making these predictions 
because the supply (or population) of the species cannot be seen, as 
is the case with farm animals or crops. The more complete and more 
reliable the statistics on yield are, the better foundation the biologist 
has for conducting his studies. The Bureau, therefore, aims to obtain 
a complete picture of each individual fishery to further these biological 
studies. 
ECONOMIC ASPECT 
When the fishery has been conserved and trends and yields of the 
fishery have been predicted, the problem still remains of supplying 
the fishery trade with the information so essential to the conduct of 
its business activities. In these days of increased competition the 
very existence of the fishery industry must depend upon reliable 
economic statistical information. Such material has been especially 
valuable during the past few years, when it has been used in national 
planning. The Bureau, therefore, aims to make its statistical surveys. 
