1162 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES [24] 



11. THE AIMS AND LIMITATIONS OF MODERN PISH CULTURE. 



Ha\au,a: now attempted to defiue tlie field of modern fish culture, aud 

 to show what it has already accomplished, it remains to be said what 

 appear to be its legitimate aims and limitations. 



The aims of modern Jish culture, as I understand them, are: 



1. To arrive at a thorougli knowledge of the life history from beginning 

 to end of every species of economic value, the histories of the animals 

 and plants upon which they feed or upon which their food is nourished, 

 the histories of their enemies aud friends, and the friends and foes of 

 their enemies and friends, as well as the currents, temperatures, and 

 other physical phenomena of the waters in relation to migration, repro- 

 duction, and growth. 



2, To apply this knowledge in such a practical manner that every 

 form offish shall be at least as thoroughly under control as are now the 

 salmon, the shad, the alewife, the carp, and the whitefish. 



Its limitations are precisely those of scientific agriculture, and ani- 

 mal i-earing, since, although certain physical conditions may constantly 

 intervene to thwart man's eftbrts in any given direction, it is quite 

 within the bounds of reasonable expectation to be able to understand 

 what these are, and how their efiects are produced. 



An important (consideration concerning the limitations of fish culture 

 must always be kept in mind in weigliing the arguments for and against 

 its success. It is simply this : That effort toward the acclimation of fishes 

 in new waters is not fish culture, hut is sint2)hf one of the necessary experi- 

 ments upon which fish culture may he hased. The introduction of carp 

 from Germany was not fish cultnre, it was an experiment; the experi- 

 ment has succeeded, and fish culture is now one of its results. The in- 

 troduction of California salmon to the Atlantic slope was an experiment. 

 It has not succeeded. Its failure has nothing to do with the success of 

 fish culture. If any one wants to see successful fish culture in connection 

 with this fish let him go to the Sacramento River. The introduction of 

 shad to the Pacific coast was an experiment. It succeeded. Shad culture 

 can now be carried on without fear of failure by the fish commission of 

 the Pacific States. 



Shad culture is an established success ; so is whitefish culture in the 

 Great Lakes. Tlie experiments with cod and Spanish mackerel were 

 not fish culture, though there is reason to hope that they may yet lead 

 up to it. 



12. PUBLIC OR MODERN FISH CULTURE TYPIFIED IN THE WORK OF 

 THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



Puhlic fish culture, then, scarcely exists except in America, thouyh in 

 Europe many eminent men of science appreciate its importance and are 

 striving to educate the people uj) to the point of supportiny it. 



