REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 7 



unrestricted fishing- during- the closed season, the salmon having no 

 protection whatever during their run to the spawning grounds. 



An almost unprecedently small run of shad in the tributaries of 

 Chesapeake Bay and in other waters where the Bureau has hatcheries 

 resulted in one of the poorest seasons in the history of shad culture. 

 The spring was unusually favorable for all kinds of net fishing in the 

 hays and estuaries, and consequently a very large proportion of the run 

 was caught before the fish reached the spawning grounds. It is 

 reported that the catch of shad in the Potomac River in 1 :»();> was the 

 smallest ever known. Unless the number of shad nets that may be 

 set in and below the mouths of streams is limited and the survival of 

 a fair proportion of the spawning fish is insured, the efforts of the 

 Bureau to maintain this important fishery may not be successful. 



The completion of the hatchery on the Maine coast was promptly 

 followed b}^ extensive operations, and the outlook for effective marine 

 culture in that state is unusuall}' bright. The principal purpose of 

 the hatchery is the propagation of lobsters, and the first season's rec- 

 ord fully justifies its establishment. From impounded lobsters and 

 from lobsters purchased from the fishermen more than 80,000,000 eggs 

 have been taken. As an adjunct of lobster cultivation, this station 

 has been equipped for cod hatching, the field for which appears to be 

 extensive and promising, and the first year's output — nearly 50,000,000 

 vigorous fry — is gratifying. 



In connection with the carp, the distribution of which was discon- 

 tinued many years ago, it may be noted that the Bureau receives daily 

 applications for this fish for planting in public and private waters, 

 and it is quite evident that among a large proportion of the population 

 this species is regarded with favor for stocking certain kinds of waters. 



STATIONS OPERATED. 



In the past year fish-cultural operations were conducted at 55 sta- 

 tions and substations, located in 29 states and territories. On the 

 northeast coast cod, pollock, flatfish, and lobsters were propagated at 

 3 stations; on the rivers of the Atlantic seaboard salmon, shad, striped 

 bass, white perch, and yellow perch were hatched at 8 stations; on the 

 Great Lakes the eggs of whitefish, lake herring, lake trout, and pike 

 perch were incubated at 7 stations; on the Pacific coast rivers the 

 various salmons received attention at 11 stations; and on the interior 

 waters landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, black-spotted trout, brook 

 trout, grayling, black bass, crappie, sunfish, etc., were handled at w 25 

 stations. 



The field of operations in all branches of this work was wider than 

 in former years, owing to the establishment of numerous egg-collecting 

 stations in conjunction with the regular hatcheries. On the New 

 England coast there were 11 such stations; on the Great Lakes. 22; 

 on the Pacific salmon streams, 4; and on the interior waters, 17. 



