and the Fish and Wildlife Service have each 

 had their own system of cost analysis. Because 

 of the differences in cost accounting breakdown 

 it has been impossible to compare performance 

 statistics of the different organizations. The 

 Federal Fish and Wildlife Service has spent 

 many years in developing an annual report 

 system which would adequately present all 

 phases of the hatchery operations. 



Because the Federal Service operates 

 hatcheries in all sections of the United States, 

 the Montana Department feels they should 

 take the lead in developing cost accounting and 

 performance evaluation statistics. We have 

 therefore adopted the federal annual hatchery 

 report on a trial basis, and each foreman has 

 prepared the report for the calendar year 1957. 

 Copies of the reports may be inspected by the 

 public at the Helena office or at the various 

 hatcheries. 



Under the Federal annual reporting system 

 expenditures for items such as new construc- 

 tion, "park" maintenance, experimental work, 

 hatchery assistance given other activities in 

 the agency, central office overhead and amor- 

 tization of the facilities are not included in the 

 cost per pound of fish produced. Labor and 

 funds used specifically for rearing fish were 

 charged to fish production. 



Because the Montana fish hatchery annual 

 report was not begun until 1957, this type of 

 breakdown is not available for the calendar 

 year 1956. In 1957 approximately 50 per cent 

 of the state hatcheries expenditures were used 

 for fish production (see table 1). 



It will be noted that there is considerable 

 variation in the cost per pound of fish produced 

 at the various stations. This is invariably a 

 reflection of the size of fish being reared. For 

 instance in 1957 it cost 53 cents per pound to 

 rear fish at the Bluewater hatchery while at 

 Somers it cost $2.31 per pound. The Bluewater 

 fish poundage wa.s predominately large catch- 

 able sized rainbow trout, while the Somers 

 fish production was almost exclusively small 

 fry and fingerlings. 



Catchable sized trout are popular with 

 most sportsmen in spite of the relatively high 

 cost per fish. They are planted in heavily 

 fished accessible areas of Montana streams. 

 The smaller fry and fingerlings though more 

 expensive by the pound are providing an eco- 

 nomical means of re-establishing desirable 

 game fish in rehabilitated lakes and streams. 



Table No. 2 shows number, pounds and 

 species planted by all Montana and Federal 

 hatcheries in Montana for the years 1956 and 

 1957. 



1957 



TABLE NO. 1 



Numbers 



Pounds 

 Planted 



Cost Per 



Pound of 



Fish Produced 



Percentage of 



Funds Used 



For Production 



Anaconda 352,955 



Arlee 1,115,085 



Big Timber 628,793 



Bluewater 205,467 



Emigrant 336,263 



Great Falls 4,128,511 



Hamilton 72,355 



Lewistown 829,157 



Libby 106,595 



McNeil 1,349,000 



Poison 2,282,548 



Somers 3,142,554 



