eries whereby federal funds ore made avail- 

 able to assist in commercial fisheries investi- 

 gations. One project, approved in April 1966, 

 provides for research into the species of fish 

 with commercial potential, their numbers, rate 

 of growth, concentrations, etc. — information de- 

 signed to help the commercial fisherman do 

 a better job. The other project approved in 

 September 1965, called for the construction of 

 a 35-foot research vessel to be used in the 

 Fort Peck Reservoir investigations. The boat 

 was to be delivered in May 1966, but con- 

 struction problems have delayed delivery. 



A commercial fisheries marketing research 

 study is in the planning stage at present. Ba- 

 sically this project will investigate the com- 

 mercial fisheries market potential in the state; 

 offering perhaps as a result, suggestions on 

 just what fisheries products can be used in 

 Montana, where, when and how. 



Outlook 



Our efforts must be continued on a well- 

 rounded fisheries program. Individual accom- 

 plishments could include: a modern, efficient 

 hatchery with quality fish stocked where an- 

 glers can benefit from them; a lake restocked 

 after the chemical removal of rough fish; a 

 pollution source eliminated; a new access area 

 opened to fishermen; or a good section of 

 stream saved from the bulldozer. The value of 

 the biological investigations which have pro- 

 vided us with the knowledge to achieve these 

 things is not as easy to see. However, without 

 these studies and the knowledge they have 

 furnished, our present program would have 

 been far less effective. 



We cannot rest on our present knowledge. 

 As an increasing human population demands 

 more water for industries, municipalities and 

 agriculture, fishery resource managers will be 

 faced with ever increasing problems in main- 

 taining quality sport fishing. There are still 

 many unanswered questions. What harvest of 

 fish can this recreational waterway provide 

 and still sustain quality fishing? How much 

 dewatering for how long a period of time can 

 this stream sustain without permanent damage 

 to its fish population? What water level fluc- 

 tuation will provide the best population of 

 native game fish in this reservoir? What size 

 of stocked fish will give the best return per 

 dollar spent in this lake? What effect will this 

 proposed water development project have on 

 our fishery resource? Answers to these ques- 

 tions will be even more important in the future 

 than they have been in the past. Studies de 

 signed to provide the answers must continue 

 to be the basis for the best fisheries program 

 we can provide. 



Summary of Commercial 

 Fisheries Catch 



May 1, 1964 through April 30, 1965 210,564 Lb. 



Fish Planted by Montana 

 State Fish Hatcheries 



16 



