10 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF FISH CONSERVATION 



Bv A. C. Taft. Chief 



The fisheries management program for interior waters, which is 

 largely under the supervision of the Bureau of Fish Conservation, has 

 been extended and improved in numerous ways during the biennium. 

 Some phases of the work have only been changed in minor ways such as 

 might be expected under normal growth and as the result of experience, 

 other parts of the work have been changed radically and merit recording 

 and description in this report. 



For many years trout and salmon hatcheries throughout the country 

 have in large part depended upon beef liver as the principal food for fry 

 and fingerlings. This material has become increasingly expensive and 

 at the same time it has become evident that an increasing production in 

 terms of the pounds of fish reared was necessary if more fish of larger size 

 were to be planted. During the last year of the preceding biennium a 

 program was initiated whereby condemned fluke liver could be obtained 

 for our hatcheries. During the following two years the program has 

 been expanded and we are now using more than 800,000 pounds of food 

 per year of which over 600,000 pounds is fluke liver obtained at a cost of 

 about eight cents per pound delivered at the hatcheries. Even this 

 increased amount of liver would be inadequate in amount and overly 

 expensive for the production of trout that is now contemplated, and as a 

 result we have sought for even cheaper and more plentiful substitutes. 

 During 1941 there were used in addition to fluke liver, 23,619 pounds of 

 condemned canned fish, 35,210 pounds of fresh fish, 141,286 pounds of 

 horse meat, 26,940 pounds of fish meal, 23,871 pounds of miscellaneous 

 meat and cereal products. It appears at the present time that the use of 

 fresh m.arine fishes such as anchovies and sardines can be greatly increased 

 and supply additional food at low cost. 



The following table shows the number of pounds of trout and salmon 

 produced and planted each year since 1935. 



TABLE I 



POUNDS OF TROUT AND SALMON PLANTED 



(Not induflins rescued fish) 



Year Pounds 



1936 - 14.3,868 



1937 119,758 



1938 84,760 



1939 : 95,142 



1940 133,948 



1941 - 167,647 



1942 243,000 



The poundage for 1936 was abnormally increased by the planting of 

 52,937 pounds of trout taken from excess brood stock. In 1938 produc- 

 tion was at its lowest level for the period covered, largely as a result of 



