Part 2.— DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS 



[E. C. Fharnow, Superintendent of Fisli Distribution] 



In distributing the year's output of 5,232,373,000 fish and fish eggs 

 from the various stations of the bureau, trips were made to all parts 

 of the United States; fish eggs were sent to the Governments of 

 Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan, 

 and one shipment of top minnows {Ga/mJbusia affimis) was forwarded 

 to Santo Domingo. As usual, about 95 per cent of the year's output 

 consisted of eggs and fry of the commercial fishes, and all of these 

 except the comparatively few supplied to State fisheries authorities 

 were planted in the waters from which the eggs were derived. The 

 fishes included in this classification are the shad, glut herring, white- 

 fish, cisco, the salmons, pike perch, yellow perch, carp, buffalo fish, 

 cod, haddock, pollock, and winter flounder. The species mostly prop- 

 agated for stocking interior waters are the brook, rainbow, black- 

 spotted, and Loch Leven trouts, the largemouth black bass, small- 

 mouth black bass, crappie, rock bass, bream, and catfish. While the 

 number of fish of such species produced is comparatively small, 

 representing only about 7 per cent of the entire output, it is this 

 branch of the work that brings the bureau in close contact with the 

 general public, making it relatively important, because public interest 

 in the fisheries is an influence that can not be considered to be other- 

 wise than beneficial. 



The work connected with the distribution of fish is very heavy, 

 in numerous instances necessitating long and laborious overtime 

 duty. It is also quite hazardous, involving almost constant travel, 

 and the salaries provided are much lower than those paid for similar 

 work outside the Government service. Resignations submitted dur- 

 ing the past year made it necessary to appoint three car messengers, 

 two assistant messengers, and five car cooks. These changes, to- 

 gether with those involved in the transfer of two members of the 

 distribution force to positions at fish-cultural stations of the bureau, 

 constituted a turnover of 50 per cent in the car service personnel 

 in the course of the fiscal year 1926. 



The following table shows in summarized form the distribution 

 of fish and fish eggs during the fiscal year to applicants in the 

 United States and its territories. It also shows plants of fish made 

 on the bureau's initiative in the public waters of the country in 

 connection with the propagation of the commercial fishes and the 

 salvage of fish from temporarily flooded lands. The output of the 

 hatcheries that handle the commercial fishes is planted,, so far as 

 practicable, on the natural spawning grounds from which the eggs 

 are derived, this course being essential for the maintenance of the 

 fisheries, especially in regions where commercial fishing is prosecuted 

 extensively and also in the case of the anadromous fishes. The activi- 

 ties of the commercial fishermen are coincident with the spawning- 

 period of the fish. Almost all salvaged fishes are returned to their 

 native waters, only a very small percentage being used for filling 

 applications. 



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