PROPAGATION AND DISTRIBUTION OP FOOD FISHES, 1930 1161 



found that those most satisfactory had not yet been acquired by the 

 Government. 



MARINE SPECIES 



As has been previously stated a considerable proportion of the 

 increase in the total output of fish and eggs for the fiscal year is 

 attributable to augmented production at the marine stations. Five 

 species only are handled, constituting the forms which are the basis 

 of the most profitable inshore fisheries in the New England area. 

 Changed conditions in the vicinity of the Woods Hole (Mass.) 

 station have rendered it increasingly difficult to obtain a supply of 

 cod eggs, and work at this point was concentrated upon the propa- 

 gation of the winter flounder. The Gloucester (Mass.) station also 

 had a reduction in its output of cod and haddock, but the work of 

 the Boothbay Harbor hatchery was very successful in all its rami- 

 fications. 



BOOTHBAY HARBOE (MB.) STATION 

 [Thomas H. Door, Superintendent] 



During that portion of the year when no fish-cultural operations were possible, 

 the station force was employed in making needed repairs to the house occupied 

 by the engineer and other buildings, and in the maintenance of the station 

 aquarium. Two, and frequently three, men with the bureau's launch were 

 engaged in collecting exhibit material ; und specimens of every species that 

 could be secured, together with four young seals, were transferred to the 

 station and placed on exhibition in the aquarium and in live cars. 



The fish-cultural work consisted as heretofore in capturing brood winter 

 flounder, taking and developing the spawn, liberating the fry, and in stripping, 

 fertilizing, and planting on the natural spawning grounds such cod and had- 

 dock eggs as were available at commercial fisheries within reach of the station. 

 With the aid of a temporary force and a chartered power boat to assist the 

 bureau's launch, a total of 96 fyke nets were set in all bays and coves from 

 Johns Bay to Robin Hoods Cove within a radius of 12 miles of the station. 

 At the close of fishing in one place the nets and operations were transferred 

 to another. Working in this way a total of 12,798 brood fish, or 3,000 in excess 

 of the take last year, were captured between March 5 and April 15, and from 

 them 2,625,942,000 eggs were secured and developed, yielding an output of 

 2,434,538,000 fry for liberation on or near the areas from which the eggs 

 were derived. Work with this species came to an end on Aprjl 25. With the 

 opening of the cod season on April 1 a second boat was chartered and, as 

 soon as the winter flounder season had ended, both boats were detailed to 

 the cod work until the height of the collecting season had passed, when the 

 services of one was discontinued. By means of the three boats available 

 all grounds between Pemaquid and Seguin Islands were covered and at the 

 close of operations on May 28 a total of 1,068,142,000 cod eggs and 124,920,000 

 haddock eggs had been handled. The work with the former species established 

 a record achievement for this station. 



GLOUCESTEE (MASS.) STATION 



[C. G. Corliss, Superintendent] 



This station began active fish-cultural work on November 1 with the ac- 

 quisition of the flrst lot of pollock eggs. Collections of these eggs came in at in- 

 tervals up to the end of January. The total for the season amounted to 

 1,028,483,000, and from this stock 616,713,000 fry were produced. This output 

 represents a material increase over the results attained in previous years. Of 

 the total collection of 657,722,000 cod eggs secured 307,737,000 were incubated, 

 yielding an output of 229,769,000 fry. The remainder of the collection were 

 planted as green eggs on the fishing grounds, the low density of the water 

 from which they were derived making their transfer to the hatchery impractica- 



