REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISIIEPJES.' 47 



shore fisheries show that m 1911 there were caiiglit in tlie waters of 

 that State where the tide ehhs and flows 147,799 pounds of Atlantic 

 sahnon, which is the Largest catch of fish of that species in 20 years, 

 the next largest beuig in 1901 and amountuig to 96,891 pounds. 

 The smallest catch was in the year 1898, the total being 33,869 

 pounds. In May and Jane of 1912 there were secured from waters 

 in the vicinity 1,133 adult salmon, which is the largest brood stock 

 ever collected for the Craig Brook station. 



The year's operations with the marme fishes at the Boothbay Har- 

 bor station were highly successful. There was a slight deficiency in 

 the cod work, owmg to the nonappearance of the second run of fish 

 along the Maine coast, and the haddock work was interfered with by 

 stormy weather, but these shortages were more than offset by the 

 results attained in the hatching and distribution of lobsters and flat- 

 fish. Seed lobsters were comparatively abundant, and through the 

 aid of the boat belongmg to the State the year's collections numbered 

 14,902. Of this number 11,362 were successfully carried through the 

 winter in the pound and yielded 162,237,000 eggs of superior quality. 

 The boat purchased by the Bureau during the year permitted of the 

 extension of the flatfi h work over a wider territory and a consequent 

 increase in the output. The collections of cod and flatfish for the 

 Woods Hole station were far above the average, taxing the facilities 

 to the utmost, notwithstanding the mstallation of additional liatching 

 apparatus. 



At the Gloucester station, on the other hand, the cod work accom- 

 plished was a little short of an average season, but the falUng off was 

 more than made up by the large numbers of pollock, liaddock, and 

 flatfish distributed. Here, too, the hatching equipment proved en- 

 tirely inadequate for the efficient handling of the enormous numbers 

 of eggs coming in during the height of the season, and though the eggs 

 were generally of superior quality the losses during incubation w^ere in 

 some instances abnormal, owing to the necessity of crowding double 

 and sometimes three times the usual number in the hatching equip- 

 ment available. The success of the work at both stations, though 

 partly due to favorable weather, may in the mam be attributed to 

 closer cooperation between the superintendents than has heretofore 

 existed, and the extension and more equitable division of the field 

 because of such cooperation. The experience of the past season has 

 demonstrated that an addition to the equipment of a well-equipped 

 seagoing vessel, capable of following the fishmg fleet to distant points, 

 and of sufficient power and stability to remain at sea through stormy 

 weather, will result in greatly increasing the output of the Woods 

 Hole and Gloucester stations and at the same time eliminate the 

 annual outlay of a large sum for the hire of vessel service, which is 

 never satisfactory. 



