REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OP FISHERIES XXVH 



health to include their establishments in the regular inspection being 

 made of canning establishments. 



The menhaden industry has taken definite steps toward improving 

 the quality of their fish meal and oil by installing refrigerating ma- 

 chinery for brine-cooling fish aboard ship. Steamers so equipped 

 can be operated to much better advantage because it is seldom neces- 

 sary to return to port without a reasonable load of fish. Also, it is 

 possible to go to the best fishing grounds instead of being compelled 

 to fish close to the factory. 



The fishing industry made definite plans for carrying on a na- 

 tional campaign to increase the consumption of fish. This should 

 bring about valuable changes, as a good part of their efforts is to be 

 expended in improving technological practices. 



CRAB FISHERY OF CHESAPEAKE BAY 



It will be recalled that in 1924 the crab industry was in distress, 

 due to scarcity of crabs, and at the solicitation of men in the industry 

 the bureau undertook to investigate the matter and recommend reme- 

 dial measures. As the biology of the blue crab had been studied 

 previously and its important features are now understood, the in- 

 vestigation was primarily of a statistical nature. It was necessary 

 to determine whether the abundance of crabs actually was declin- 

 ing ; whether the crab supplies of Maryland and Virginia were inde- 

 pendent of each other; and whether there was preventable wastage 

 in the fisheries and related industries. The investigation proceeded 

 until December, 1925, and it was found that, although there were 

 fluctuations in recent years, the general trend in abundance was 

 downward; that the fisheries in Maryland and Virginia are inter- 

 dependent, requiring the cooperation of the two States in adminis- 

 tering them, and that there was considerable wastage in certain 

 phases of the crab industry. 



A preliminary report embodying these findings and containing 

 recommendations for the improvement of conditions was distributed 

 in both States, and at its last meeting the Virginia Legislature took 

 favorable action on most of the recommendations, and it is believed 

 that similar action will follow at Maryland's next legislative session. 



MACKEREL STATISTICS 



One of the greatest difficulties confronting the important mackerel 

 fishery of the Atlantic coast is the extraordinary fluctuation in 

 abundance of this fish. The uncertain nature of this fishery causes 

 heavy losses in the outfitting by fishermen for the mackerel season, 

 and disastrous gluts in the market alternating with periods of severe 

 scarcity can not be avoided without some means of forecasting the 

 future supply. At present nothing definite is known as to the nature 

 of these fluctuations other than the magnitude of the changes in 

 yield, but fisheries science has now progressed to , the point where 

 the nature and causes of such fluctuation permit understanding and 

 possible forecasting if suitable statistics of the yield, of the fishing 

 effort involved in producing the yield, and of the ■ character of the 

 yield are available. In order to provide the material for future 

 study of the problem, work was initiated in 1925 to provide for 



