198 U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES 



of the supply can be detected before disaster occurs; and the smother- 

 ing of activity by irresponsible and hasty legislation is prevented 

 because the system provides reliable information as to the fisheries. 

 In short, exact knowledge of the state of the fisheries, and this alone, 

 makes rational control possible. 



BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



The foregoing recommendations concerning the adoption of fishery 

 statistics deal with the powers and obligations of the State govern- 

 ment. The fisheries are the property of the State, and the State alone 

 has the legal authority for enforcing such a system and making it 

 functional. The responsibility for starting a program of biological 

 investigations, however, rests upon both State and Federal Govern- 

 ments, for fish do not recognize State boundaries and the problems 

 are therefore both local and general. 



At the request of the present fish, game, and oyster commissioner 

 and other interested persons the Bureau of Fisheries is undertaking 

 a program of biological investigations, in which the present paper 

 represents the initial step. These investigations are designed to 

 answer the outstanding questions concerning the present and future 

 supply of the more important commercial fishes and to pave the way 

 for further studies of a more detailed and local nature. These later 

 studies. should be continued, in the main, by State investigators. 

 Cooperation with the Bureau of Fisheries by the State authorities 

 should include the furnishing of both personnel and equipment, and 

 every evidence is shown that such cooperation will be fully accorded. 

 It should be the function of the Federal Government to consider the 

 larger phases of fishery biology and to coordinate the activities of the 

 various States. The yield of the Texas fisheries must be studied in 

 relation to the fisheries of the entire Gulf, for conservation in Louisiana 

 undoubtedly influences the yield in Texas. It must be the duty of 

 the State, however, to maintain strict watch of the changes in both 

 yield and composition of each fishery in order that it may be known 

 when and how to protect the supply. 



REORGANIZATION OP THE FISHERY ADMINISTRATION 



The unsatisfactory organization of the State fishery administration 

 in Texas has long been recognized. Commissioner Sterret pointed 

 out the undesirable condition in his report for 1919, when he said: 

 "The department of game, fish, and oysters should be 

 changed * * *. By statute the commissioner is appointed by 

 the governor for a term of two years, our constitution prohibiting 

 terms of appointive officers for a longer time. There is not a man 

 living who can in that time ever learn the geography of the State or 

 the bays, inlets, and rivers of it, though such knowledge is necessary 

 to the enforcement of the laws and the administration of the depart- 

 ment's affairs." Thus he sums up both the need for and the diffi- 

 culty of reorganization. Under this system the development of a 

 permanent policy toward the fisheries and the retention of a reason- 

 ably permanent technical staff obviously are impossible. 



Regardless of the practical or legal difficulties in the way of effecting 

 a change, it will not be amiss to mention the changes in organization 



