MARINE FISHERIES OF TEXAS 197 



FISHERY STATISTICS 



A system of fishery statistics designed to indicate the relative 

 abundance of fish rather than to give the actual amount of the catch 

 is the basis upon which the ability to recognize and control depletion 

 rests. It is impossible to regulate a fishery intelligently without 

 knowing both the fact and the cause of an actual decline of a par- 

 ticular species in any locality. As previously pointed out, the boat 

 catch in most cases is recognized as a reliable index of abundance. 

 Therefore, the proposed system of statistics includes the following 

 details : 



1. A record of the daily catch of each species of fish by each indi- 

 vidual fishing boat or crew. This record can be collected most easily 

 at the time of the first sale of the fish by providing all dealers with 

 manifolding receipt books upon which the details of the sale may be 

 recorded. A duplicate copy, which is to be the property of the State 

 commission, should be collected and filed for compilation and analysis, 

 thus providing a record of the fluctuating yield of each species. 



2. A record of the number and type of boats and vessels and the 

 amount of gear used from year to year. This record should be sup- 

 plementary to the records of yield and should gage the changes in 

 the above index of abundance — the boat catch. It should be col- 

 lected annually, by requiring the licensing of all boats, and should be 

 recorded when fishermen's licenses are issued, preferably at the 

 beginning of the fiscal year. 



While the preparation of the above records should be under the 

 supervision of a trained fishery biologist, the actual collection of the 

 data on the fish receipts and the registration of boats could be done 

 by the regular fishery deputies in each district and records forwarded 

 periodically to the central office. Indeed, the whole system should 

 be so organized as to work automatically, and it should be affected 

 as little as possible by the personality of the collectors. Furthermore, 

 to insure permanency, the system should be enforced by law. 



3. Special biological statistics of the species particularly threat- 

 ened by depletion should supplement the more general records. 

 Statistics should be gathered in a systematic manner to show changes 

 in the abundance of the various age classes in the fishery. Shifting 

 localities and changing methods also should be recorded, and these 

 should be coordinated with the more general biological investigations 

 recommended in the succeeding paragraphs. 



That such a system of statistical examination of the fisheries is 

 not impossible or impractical is demonstrated by the experience of 

 the State of California, where it was developed and has been in 

 smooth, successful operation for six years. The system is described 

 in biennial reports of the California Fish ,and Game Commission/ 2 

 and illustrations of its utility are beginning to appear in various 

 fishery publications. 15 



Such a system is in reality a form of industrial insurance, for 

 protection is afforded to the investment of capital and the develop- 

 ment of the industry; unwise expansion is avoided, for depletion 



» See particularly " Report of the Department of Commercial Fisheries, " by N. B. Scofield. Twenty- 

 eighth Biennial Report, Fish and Game Commission, 1922-1924. Sacramento, 1925. 



"See particularly "Preliminary Investigation of the Purse-Seine Industry of Southern California," 

 by Tage Skogsberg. Fish Bulletin No. 9, California Fish and Game Commission. Sacramento, 1925. 



