tJ. S. Fish Commission Stat' ' 



REPORT iiOZEMAN, MONT. 



OF THE 



UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES 



FOR THE 



FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1902. 



I have the honor to submit a report covering the li.sh -cultural work 

 and scientific and statistical investigations of the United States Com- 

 mission of Fish and Fisheries for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902, 

 together with the detailed reports of the assistants in charge of its 

 different divisions. 



PROPAGATION OF FOOD-FISHES. 



Natural conditions governing the collection of eggs were generally 

 very favorable at all points where operations were carried on, and 

 increased appropriations made it possible to take advantage of these 

 conditions. The Commission was therefore enabled to keep up its 

 record and show an increased output of nearly all of the species han- 

 dled, and in the aggregate there were distributed over 1,495,500,000 

 fish and eggs, or 321,700,000 more than last year. Of these, 99 per 

 cent were in the interests of the commercial fisheries and 1 per cent, 

 or 14,900,000, were game fishes. Popular interest in the Commission 

 and wider knowledge of its functions are shown by the increasing- 

 number of applications for fish to stock interior waters, 3,811 having 

 been received, or 25 per cent more than the previous year. 



The propagation of quinnat salmon was carried on in California, 

 Oregon, and Washington, at 12 stations, including several collecting 

 camps, and the season's work was considered very satisfactory. The 

 runs of fish in the various streams were in most cases good, and over 

 56,000,000 eggs were collected. 29,300,000 fry and fingerlings were 

 hatched and planted and 17,480,000 eggs were transferred to the Cali- 

 fornia State Commission. As far as possible fry were held and fed 

 during the winter and planted when about 2^ inches long, but lack of 

 room and other facilities prevented pursuing this policy to its full 

 extent. A few silver-salmon eggs were taken on a ti-ibutary of Rogue 

 River, Oregon, and steelhead-trout eggs were obtained at the same 



F. C. 1902 1 1 



