REPORT. 



To the Honorable the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and 

 Providence Plantations, at its January Session, 1913: 



The Commissioners herewith, present their forty-third annual 

 report, for the year 1912, which contains as required by law, data 

 and statistics with the respect to the fisheries under their jurisdiction 

 and such recommendation as they deem expedient. 



Your Commissioners desire at the very commencement of this 

 report to thank the members of the Assembly for their liberal support 

 of this branch of the State's work. The appropriation of 1912 

 enabled them, in addition to the regular line of work, to do the con- 

 siderable repair work at the Wickford Hatchery and Experiment 

 Station, which was made necessary by the lack of appropriation for 

 the preceding year, and also to construct a suitable wharf and building 

 — a thing which has been needed at the Station for a number of j'ears 

 and had now become quite imperative. 



A suitable site for a black bass hatchery has been sought and two or 

 three locations are now being considered. 



Arrangements have been made to commence in the early part of 

 this year, 1913, a survey of the enumerable fresh -water ponds in the 

 State with a view of determining the kind of fish for which they are 

 best adapted and then to endeavor to keep them well stocked. 



In addition to the above, the work of the Commission has followed 

 the usual lines and may be briefly mentioned as follows: 



The enforcement of the laws respecting fresh-water fishes. 



