XIV REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



This combination of factors has caused a very heavy strain on our 

 fishery resources, resulting in the serious depletion of some forms 

 and greatly endangering others. The eli'ect on the runs of anadro- 

 mous fishes, such as shad, salmon, and sturgeon, and on the lishes 

 of interior waters has been especially serious. Forms having a fixed 

 abode or restricted movement, sucli as oysters, nuissels, clams, crabs, 

 and lobsters, also are sutfering depletion wherever they are not 

 afforded adequate conservation and conditions suitable for their 

 existence. Commercial fishing for salmon on the Atlantic coast is 

 practically nonexistent, and the future of the salmon fishery on the 

 Pacific coast is in jeopardy. The catch of shad has decreased by 

 70 per cent, and the lobster catch is less than one-third th'at of 30 

 years ago. 



Under these conditions the need for supplementing the natural 

 supply of food fish by cultural methods is felt as never before, and 

 the bureau has striven to keep pace with the increasing demands 

 made upon this branch of its service. Production in 1924 was four 

 times as great 'as in 1904, and was accomplished at considerably less 

 than double the cost of operations then. The l)ureau's inability to 

 keep pace with the demands made upon it in 1923 is illustrated by 

 the fact that it had on tile about 13,000 applications for fish, includ- 

 ing about 2,000 carried over from the previous year; in 1924 it had 

 on file 1(5,000, including more than 3,000 carried over from 1923. 

 The number of applications for 1925 is estimated at 21,000, includ- 

 ing about 5,000 that have been carried over. 



For the current year the bureau's output exceeds 5,300,000,000 

 eggs, fry, and fingerlings. Approximately three-fourths of this out- 

 put represents the salvage of fishes from overflowed regions and of 

 eggs from the catches of commercial Hshermen that would otherwise 

 be lost in the course of merchandising. The bureau recognizes the 

 need for economy in Government expenditures and has greatly in- 

 creased its output with a lowered cost of production per million, 

 thus enabling it to meet in part the increased demands made upon it 

 without an increase in appropriation. The bureau is developing 

 certain new fields that will enable it to greatly increase its output 

 as soon as it is practicable to provide a reasonable increase in its 

 appropriation. For example, under this program the bureau believes 

 it will be possible to raise its quota of distribution of black basses 

 by 500 per cent, and such commercial species as the salmon, lake 

 trout, whitefish, pike perch, cod, haddock, pollock, and flounder by 

 50 to 100 per cent. 



KEVIKW OF OPEHATIONS 



During the fiscal year 1924 new fish-cultural methods of proved 

 efficiency were adopted. The limited appropriations, however, have 

 compelled close adherence to the previously established scope of oper- 

 ations in the main without as large an expansion of operations as the 

 demands on the service recjuire. In so far as facilities would per- 

 mit, however, every energy was l)ent toward increasing the output 

 of the marine and coastal species, as well as of the basses, fronts, and 

 other fishes of commercial and recreational importance in the interior 

 w^aters of the country. 



