Although these approaches are initially expensive, a long-term potential 



l\ 

 for economical return exists. Land based agriculture has prospered by developing n 



different strains (stocks) of corn, cotton, tobacco, cows, etc. which are 



disease resistant, faster growing, or exhibit some other economically desirable 



trait. 



Habitat management is of particular value to any stock enhancement program 

 for the winter flounder because part of its life cycle is spent in estuaries 

 and shallow coastal waters. These habitats are particularly vulnerable to the 

 harmful actions of human society. Increased pollution of estuaries has been 

 well substantiated and the economic benefit resulting from improvements in the 

 quality of coastal waters has been assessed by Bell and Canterbury (6) . 



Aquaculture of flatfish has been neglected for the most part in the 

 United States (2) . However in Great Britain a pilot scale project is in 

 progress on commercially rearing the plaice and could provide valuable 

 technological information for a project in the United States. 



Ocean Perch 



Sebastes marinus L., unlike the other fish species associated with the 

 geographical area from Labrador to Georges Bank, lives at greater depths and 

 has a different reproductive mechanism. The females retain the young within 

 their bodies (live bearers) and the larvae escape from the female during the 

 period from spring to early summer. Initially the young stages (fry) are 

 found near the surface , but when they become about 5 months of age they migrate 

 to the bottom. Of importance to stock enhancement is the observation that this 

 species grows very slowly. Thus overfishing could have a long-term effect on 

 the rate of recovery of this stock. 



