XX REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



the inshore grounds until late in March, fully a month after the usual 

 time. i 



The Woods Hole (Mass.) station accomplished very good work in 

 propagating winter flounder from brood fish captured in nets set by 

 the station employees in Waquoi Bay and in the vicinit}' of "Wick- 

 ford, K. I. 



MIGRATORY FISHES OF ATLANTIC RI^TIRS 



Largely through extensive fish-cultural operations, the runs of 

 shad in the Potomac River have been maintained at a higher level 

 than for any other Atlantic coast stream. The catch in that river 

 for the five-year period, 1919 to 1923, averaged nearly 680,000 fish 

 2)er annum. The results of the fishing operations in the vicinity of 

 the spawning areas were the smallest in many years. Eggs were 

 taken from April 23 to May 11, on which date the work was brought 

 to an abrupt close by a severe storm. 



The reopening of the Capehart fishery in Albemarle Sound after a 

 lapse of several j^ears was the means of effecting considerable im- 

 provement in the shad situation at the Edenton (X, C.) station. 



No eggs of the Atlantic salmon were collected at the Craig Brook 

 (Me.) station, and the only fish of that species produced were the 

 result of approximately half a million eyed eggs supplied by one of 

 the Canadian Government hatcheries in exchange for an equal num- 

 ber of blackspotted-trout eggs. 



Between September 21 and October 5, 1923, 593.000 humpback- 

 salmon eggs were collected from brood fish captured in the Denny& 

 River near Dennysville, Me., the run of that species being the out- 

 ■ come of past efforts of the bureau to acclimatize the humpback 

 salmon in the coastal waters of New England. The fry hatched 

 from these eggs were liberated in the Dennys and Pembroke Rivers^ 



SALVAGE OF FOOD FISHES FROM OVERFLOWED LANDS 



In 1922 the catch of fishery products in the Mississippi River and its 

 tributaries exceeded 105,700,000 pounds, valued at more than $4,500,000 

 to the fishermen. In addition large numbers of anglers engaged in 

 this recreation, whose combined catch would add materially to the 

 above total. The species of commercial importance are butfalofish, 

 carp, catfish, fresh-water drum, and spoonbill catfish. The catch of 

 fresh-water mussels represents nearly one-half of the total take for 

 these waters. It is highly important that these fisheries be. main- 

 tained as a source of food and recreation and as a basis for the 

 important pearl-button industry. As the water stages were lower 

 than usual during the period when the river fishes spawn many of 

 the adjoining ponds and sloughs were not flooded. Tliis restricted 

 the field of operations to some extent, but such lowlands as were 

 flooded were found to contain more than the average numbers of 

 3'oung fish. The field of activity extended from Prescott, Wis., on 

 the north, to Andalusia, 111., on the south, and the season's results 

 were 148,486,316 rescued fishes of various species. All of these were 

 released in the Mississippi River with the exception of 937.814, which 

 were reserved for distribution to applicants. 



